7 killed in Imphal blast

At least seven persons were killed and around 30 injured when a powerful IED blast ripped through the bus they were travelling in...

At least seven persons were killed and around 30 injured when a powerful IED blast ripped through the bus they were travelling in, on the outskirts of Imphal at around 6 pm on Sunday.

However, Imphal (east) SP L Kailun told The Indian Express that the blast had ripped open the floor of the bus but only four people were reported dead.

While it is not yet clear which militant group is responsible for the blast, police said the IED was planted on the roadside and was triggered off when

a passenger bus passed the area.

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“The bus was plying on the Imphal-Pukhao route and was packed with people returning from the capital. The blast occurred at Pourabi, around eight km from Lamlai. It was already dark and visibility was very poor. I can’t say who is behind the blast as of now but an intensive operation is on in the area to trace the perpetrators and gather information,” Kailum said.

The blast which occurred around one km off the NH-150, left a crater around two feet deep, police said.

Last week, during the visit of the Union Minister of State in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan, the Assam Rifles had detected and neutralised 15 IEDs in a single day on the National Highway 150.

Pourabi, the blast site, is around three km from the 4 AR post at Chingarel and sources in the security forces said the IED was most probably intended for the defence personnel.

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Meanwhile, the injured have been admitted to three separate hospitals, among whom some are said to be serious.