A suspected improvised explosive device (IED) exploded on RIMS Road in Imphal, the capital of the northeastern state of Manipur on Thursday morning. Reports suggest a 10-year-old girl sustained head injuries after the blast sent shattered glass flying.
No other details about the blast have been revealed yet. However, the blast comes a few days after Assam Rifles troops along with police apprehended two underground cadres of the United Tribal Liberation Army (ULTA) in Manipur's state capital. The United Tribal Liberation Army is a militant outfit in northeast India, fighting to protect the ethnicity of the region.
The apprehended duo was handed over to the police for further investigation, the Eastern Command of the Indian Army had said on Monday 20 January.
A similar IED blast took place in Imphal city on 28 December 2019. Two persons were injured in the explosion.
The latest blast occurred just a few days ahead of India’s 71st Republic Day celebrations with security tightened across the country and intelligence and security agencies on high alert.