Protesters blocked the Moirang police station by piling up burning logs at the gate (Express photo).
A four-year-old boy and his newborn sister were killed in their sleep after a rocket-like projectile struck their home in the Bishnupur district of Manipur early Tuesday morning. The state government temporarily suspended internet in five valley districts—Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Kakching, and Bishnupur—for three days in order to maintain law and order.
The attack occurred in Tronglaobi Awang Leikai, a village situated along the sensitive boundary between the Meitei-dominated valley and the Kuki-Zomi-dominated hills. The children’s mother Oinam Binita was critically injured in the blast and is currently being treated at a nearby hospital.
Oinam Bala, the grandmother of the deceased children, recounted the attack that took place around 1 am.
“My daughter-in-law cried out for help. When I asked what happened, she screamed that a bomb had exploded inside the room,” Bala said. “I couldn’t understand how a bomb could get inside. When I rushed in, the room was thick with smoke. I saw my two grandchildren soaked in blood. I panicked and could only yell for help.”
Binita, a nurse based in Guwahati, had returned to Manipur in January on maternity leave. Her husband Oinam Mangalsana is a soldier in the Border Security Force (BSF) currently posted in Bihar.
Later in the morning, some residents of Tronglaobi abandoned their homes as a live rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) shell was recovered a few metres away from the place where the attack took place. The rocket was connected to a device and pointed towards a house.
As the news of the death of the minors spread, Bishnupur erupted in protest. Many took to the streets, enforcing road blockades by burning tyres. A mob also set ablaze three trucks, including two oil tankers.
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Protesters also blocked the Moirang police station by piling up burning logs at the gate. The protest escalated in Imphal, with many people blocking roads, burning tyres on the streets, and disrupting traffic. All business establishments also remained closed.
Located at the periphery of Bishnupur near the Churachandpur district border, Tronglaobi has frequently witnessed similar violence since ethnic tension broke out in the state on May 3, 2023.
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