Imphal, Dec 24: Tensions escalated in Manipur’s Churachandpur district on Monday after a bomb was discovered near the contentious Anglo-Kuki War Memorial Gate. In a separate incident on the same day, a joint security operation unearthed a cache of arms and explosives, including improvised rockets, in the nearby Thangjing Hills.

According to the police, suspected bombs were found around 10:30 am beneath a bridge near the Anglo-Kuki War Memorial Gate along Tiddim Road, under Churachandpur Police Station’s jurisdiction.

Bomb experts from the 36 Assam Rifles and district police safely defused the suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) by 3:00 pm. Details on the number of IEDs recovered remain undisclosed.

Bomb experts detonating explosives (AT Photo)

The Anglo-Kuki War Memorial Gate has been at the centre of ongoing unrest in Manipur. The Kuki community alleges that miscreants had attempted to burn the gate on May 3, 2023, further exacerbating ethnic tensions.

Built in December 2019, the gate has faced controversy over its location on Tiddim Road, with the Manipur Public Works Department issuing a directive for its removal in December 2022. However, no action has been taken so far.

In a separate development, a joint operation involving the 19 Garhwal Rifles, 58 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), A-115 Border Security Force (BSF), and Churachandpur district police uncovered a significant arms and ammunition cache in the forested areas of the Thangjing Hills, approximately 2.8 km west of Kangvai near Teijang village.

Acting on local intelligence, security forces launched the operation at 7:00 am and recovered:

• 45 explosive sticks (125 grams each, totalling 5.625 kg)

• 14 detonators

• Three improvised rockets (one 5.4 feet long, two 4.5 feet long)

• A .315 rifle with a magazine

• Four pistols with magazines

• Six locally made mortars (Pompi)

Explosives recovered in Manipur (AT Photo)

The Thangjing Hills have witnessed violence before, including a September 7 attack during the ongoing Manipur crisis, where suspected militants launched two improvised rockets at Moirang in Bishnupur district, killing a 72-year-old man and injuring five others.

While authorities have not linked the bomb near the memorial gate to the arms cache in the Thangjing Hills, both events highlight the simmering unrest and the potential for further escalation.