Two villagers were injured in an explosion at Joujangtek in Noney district, while unidentified gunmen opened fire at a village in Kangpokpi on Thursday.
Imphal, June 25: Two villagers were injured in an explosion at Joujangtek under Noney district on Thursday afternoon, while a separate firing incident was reported at K Songlung village in Kangpokpi district later in the day.
According to information received from the police, the explosion occurred at around 2 pm in the Joujangtek area under Khoupum Police Station.
Police sources said that, considering the prevailing law and order situation in the hill districts, security forces were likely to conduct operations in the area. During this period, some villagers allegedly attempted to remove pompi guns, locally made improvised mortars, and conceal weapons.
During the process, a mishap reportedly led to an explosion, injuring two village volunteers identified as Henlam and Letngam. Both were immediately taken to Churachandpur District Hospital for treatment.
Following the incident, Henkhopao Haokip, Chairman of Joujangtek (Lambung) Village, issued a statement disputing reports circulating on local news channels and social media platforms.
The chairman stated that claims suggesting the two injured individuals were hurt while attempting to plant an improvised explosive device (IED) were false and without basis. He maintained that the reports being circulated did not accurately reflect the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Authorities have not yet issued any further official statement regarding the cause of the explosion beyond the information provided by police sources.
In a separate incident on the same day, unidentified armed miscreants reportedly opened fire at K Songlung village in Kangpokpi district at around 3:30 pm.
Security sources said approximately 15 to 20 rounds were fired toward the village. An Assam Rifles column deployed nearby rushed to the area after receiving information about the incident.
The security personnel reportedly retaliated, following which the unidentified gunmen fled from the location.
No casualties or injuries have been reported in connection with the firing incident.
The two incidents occurred amid continuing security concerns in parts of Manipur, where security forces remain deployed in vulnerable areas and regularly conduct operations to prevent violence and maintain law and order.
