Two high-intensity improvised explosive devices (IEDs) was found from abandoned houses in violence-hit Bishnupur district. The incident has raised fresh security concerns over the safety of areas identified for the return and rehabilitation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Manipur.
The IEDs were recovered on May 11 from two deserted houses at Tronglaobi Maning Leikai under Moirang Police Station. The houses belonged to Ningthoujam Ibomcha (56) and Konjenbam Rambo (36), officials said.
According to police sources, the explosives were fitted with wires and batteries, indicating that they were ready for detonation. Villagers reportedly spotted the suspected devices inside the abandoned houses and alerted the authorities.
A team from Moirang Police Station along with bomb disposal experts rushed to the spot and safely defused both IEDs without any casualties.
The recovery came on the same day Manipur Home Minister, Deputy Commissioners and senior officials held a review meeting in Bishnupur district to discuss resettlement plans for displaced families affected by the ethnic violence that erupted on May 3, 2023.
Residents said the discovery of explosives inside abandoned homes has deepened fear and uncertainty among displaced families planning to return. A local resident from Tronglaobi expressed concern that such incidents raise serious questions over the effectiveness of security measures in vulnerable areas.
Tronglaobi Maning Leikai, once home to nearly 50 families, was largely abandoned following widespread violence, arson and displacement during the Manipur crisis.
The latest recovery has also revived memories of the April 7 bomb blast at nearby Tronglaobi Awang Leikai in which two children were killed. The incident had triggered widespread protests across the state, prompting the Manipur government to hand over the investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The repeated recovery of explosives in abandoned civilian areas has intensified concerns over lingering militant threats and the challenges facing rehabilitation efforts in conflict-affected parts of the state.