Manipur: Forensic Team Investigates Suspected Drone Bombing in Imphal West

IMPHAL: A team of officials from the Forensic Science Laboratory visited a spot at Imphal West after a suspected drone bombing case reportedly took place there on Wednesday. The incident has been linked to alleged Kuki militants who reportedly carried out the act around 4:30 pm on Wednesday at Kadangband Part-2 Mayai Leikai, near Lamshang Police Station.

The suspected attack reportedly occurred at the house of the local resident, 35-year-old Okram Haridash, son of O Jugin. In this incident, no one sustained injuries from the explosion.

The forensic team arrived around 2:40 pm and took around an hour to inspect the area. When they inspected the area, they collected samples from the said area to be analyzed using the Explosive Detection Kits.

Despite the blast, no Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad was deployed to the site. This was reportedly because there was no formal request from Lamshang Police Station for assistance from the CID (Technical) unit in investigating the explosion.

Local accounts reveal that hour after the blast, a drone was reportedly spotted heading towards Geljang from Kadangband, sparking theories of the use of drones in the attack.

Before this, Kuki militants conducted another drone bombing at Kadangband, Manipur on Wednesday, about two months after a similar attack occurred at Koutruk Ching Leikai on September 1.

Reports surfaced around 4:30 pm that a bomb from the drone struck the north side of the home of Okram Hardash, aged 35, son of O Jugin in Kadangband Part-2 Mayai Leikai, which comes under Lamshang Police Station under Imphal West district. Until now, reports so far are there is no injury report in this matter.

Witnesses said a drone appeared almost immediately after the explosion.

In one incident on September 1 while the militants were carrying on drone bombings, the militants shot and killed Ngangom Surbala who had gone to visit her family along with her daughter at Koutruk Ching Leikai as per the report.