Two protesters killed in CRPF firing in Manipur, protests follow death of two children in an explosion
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Violence escalated in Manipur on Tuesday after two children were killed in an explosion in Bishnupur district, triggering protests in which two civilians later died in firing by the Central Reserve Police Force.
The two children, a four-year-old boy and his newborn sister, were killed in their sleep when a rocket-like projectile hit their house in Tronglaobi Awang Leikai village in Bishnupur around 1 am. Their mother, Oinam Binita, was critically injured and is being treated at a hospital.
The children’s grandmother said the family woke up after hearing a blast inside the room. When she entered, the room was filled with smoke, and the two children were lying injured.
Binita, a nurse working in Guwahati, had returned to Manipur in January on maternity leave. Her husband is a soldier in the Border Security Force and is currently posted in Bihar.
The case has been handed over to the National Investigation Agency.
Later in the day, another live rocket-propelled grenade shell was found a few metres from the house. Officials said the shell was connected to a device and pointed towards another home, prompting some residents to leave the village.
The killings led to widespread protests across Bishnupur and Imphal. Protesters blocked roads, burned tyres, and shut down businesses. A mob also set fire to three trucks, including two oil tankers.
At the Moirang Police Station, protesters blocked the entrance with burning logs.
During the unrest, two protesters were killed in firing by the Central Reserve Police Force, officials said.
The Manipur government suspended internet services for three days in five valley districts: Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Kakching, and Bishnupur.
Tronglaobi lies along the boundary between the Meitei-dominated valley and the Kuki-Zomi-dominated hills, an area that has seen repeated violence since ethnic clashes began in May 2023.