Internet shut, curfew in Manipur after deadly bomb attack ratchets up tensions

Two children were killed in a bomb attack on their home in the sensitive Moirang valley of Manipur. The government ordered mobile internet shutdown in five districts and clamped a curfew in Bishnupur to keep the peace amid fears of unrest.

In Short

• Mobile internet suspended for three days in five Manipur districts
• Curfew imposed in Bishnupur after bomb attack kills two children
• Attack sparks protests and arson near police stations

The Manipur government suspended mobile internet for three days across five districts after two children were killed and their mother injured in a bomb explosion in Bishnupur district. The incident set off fresh protests and violence in the restive state.

The internet shutdown applies to Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Kakching and Bishnupur districts, according to a Home Department order issued April 7. A curfew was also clamped in Bishnupur, where the attack took place just after midnight on Tuesday.

Authorities said the move was necessary to curb the spread of "disinformation and false rumours" and prevent activities that could disturb public order.

"Temporary suspension/curbing of internet services... is necessitated in public interest," the order said, adding the restrictions would take effect from 2 pm on April 7.

WHAT HAPPENED IN MOIRANG?

A 5-year-old boy and a six-month-old girl were killed in their sleep and their mother was injured when suspected militants lobbed an explosive at their home in Tronglaobi Awang Leikai village in Moirang, a hotbed of unrest between the Meitei and Kuki communities.

The incident sparked protests, with locals torching two oil tankers and a truck near a petrol pump, burning tyres outside a police station and damaging a makeshift police outpost. Security forces were deployed to restore order.

A large mob later stormed a Central Reserve Police Force camp near the foothills of P Gelmol, close to the Bishnupur-Churachandpur border.

Security personnel fired rounds and used smoke bombs to disperse the crowd. At least 19 people were injured in the firing and rushed to nearby hospitals, officials said. One person was reported dead at the scene.

Journalists covering the violence were forced to take shelter in a nearby canal area amid the chaos.

CHIEF MINISTER CALLS ATTACK 'ACT OF TERROR'

Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh condemned the incident as a "barbaric act" and "an outright assault on humanity".

"Let there be no doubt, those responsible will be identified, hunted down, and dealt with firmly under the law. Such acts of terror will not be tolerated under any circumstances," he said.

Local NPP MLA Th Shanti Singh alleged the attack was carried out by "Kuki narco-terrorists".

"This heinous act is nothing less than an act of terrorism. Such inhuman acts have no place in our society and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms," he said.

The incident has shattered a fragile calm in the region and reignited tensions across valley districts.

- Ends
With PTI inputs