Three medium-intensity blasts late on Tuesday night caused damage to a bridge in Manipur's Kangpokpi district, adding tension to the region just days before the second phase of polling.
Although no injuries were reported, the incident will disrupt traffic along National Highway-2, a vital route connecting Imphal to Dimapur in Nagaland.
The blasts occurred around 1:15 am near Sapormeina in Kangpokpi district. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the incident, prompting ongoing investigations by security forces.
The area has been cordoned off, with nearby bridges and surroundings under scrutiny.
The first phase of polling in the state, held on April 19, was marred by gunfire, destruction of electronic voting machines (EVMs), and allegations of coercion and intimidation in parts of the Inner Manipur constituency.
Following these incidents, 11 polling stations in the constituency underwent re-elections on April 22.
In a letter to the Election Commission, Manipur's Joint Chief Electoral Officer, Ramananda Nongmeikapam, highlighted instances of mob violence, booth capturing, and destruction of EVMs and voter-verifiable paper audit trails (VVPATs) during the initial polling phase.
Additionally, reports surfaced of miscreants shooting at an elderly man in Imphal East.
Recent gunfights have further escalated tensions, particularly in the border region between Imphal West and Kangpokpi district.
Villagers from the hills reportedly descended into the Kangpokpi district, leading to heavy firing in Awang Sekmai and neighbouring Luwangsangol villages.
The ongoing violence has drawn condemnation from the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), Sadar Hills, which denounced the aggression and highlighted its detrimental impact on the affected communities.
Ng. Lun Kipgen, the Media Cell Coordinator of CoTU, criticised the attack on Phaileng-Luwangsanggol villages, viewing it as an attempt to salvage the perpetrators' tarnished reputation following their interference in the recently concluded first phase of the Lok Sabha Polls.
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