IMPHAL/JIRIBAM, October 6: For the second time in the last fortnight or so, an explosion believed to be triggered by unidentified armed militants inside a makeshift tent sheltering labourers left seven injured this early morning.
The explosion occurred at Kambiron inside a tent sheltering labourers engaged in the ongoing Imphal-Jiribam Railway track construction.
The explosion occurred around 6:30 am along the railway line in Kambiron in Tamenglong district.
Meanwhile, police further disclosed that the attack was carried out by a hill based militant group in connection with a monetary demand to the Northeast Frontier railway.
Police sources located the exact spot of the incident to be about 16 Km south west of Nungba Police Station of Tamenglong district, near to the Barak valley area.
According to reports received, the bomb exploded inside the makeshift tent of the labourers of Coastal project Limited engaged in drilling of tunnel number 8 of the Rail line all of a sudden.
The tent is said to be near to the tunnel.
They were reportedly sleeping when the armed miscreants lobbed the grenade. The grenade landed inside the barrack injuring seven people. Following the blast, the injured were immediately rushed to Jiribam CHC but later two of them were referred to the Silchar Medical College Hospital as their condition deteriorated.
The two injured individuals have been identified as one Md Ajaduddin (31), son of Md Abdul Hamid of Karimganj Assam and Md Sajul-Islam (23), son of Riazul-Islam of Rongpur, Silchar Assam.
Reports further said that there have been many instances of kidnapping of labourers and frequent intimidation from armed militants regarding monetary demands made on the company and its officials. At the same time, the concerned company undertaking the Imphal-Jiribam railroad has never filed any complaints with the police with regards to such threats, the source informed.
It is also learnt that there was an incident of a hill based Kuki militant group kidnapping four labourers of the company this year in regard to a monetary demand.
Meanwhile, one of the injured individuals said that the ability of the armed outfits to explode a bomb inside the labourers’ tent points towards the failure of the company to provide adequate security to the labourers and that they are not safe.
He further added that he is now scared to even go back to the place to work.
While appealing the authority concerned to look into the matter, he maintained that such attacks and intimidations prevailed fear psychosis amongst them. It has been informed that the barrack is being guarded by personnel of 5th MR.
Nungba Police has registered a case in connection with the incident.
It is worth mentioning that a total of 26.925 Km of the rail line have been completed so far. The rail project has altogether 107 small bridges and seven large bridges and three flyovers besides the current railroad which is the highest number of tunnels in the entire country.