- Tensions rose in Manipur's Bishnupur after 18 were injured in protests over children's deaths
- Protesters burned a car suspected of carrying Kuki insurgents, leading to clashes
- Roadblocks disrupted traffic between Bishnupur, Churachandpur, and Imphal Airport
There was tension in Manipur's Bishnupur district today after 18 people were injured during a protest against the killing of two children in a bomb attack in the same district on April 7.
Protesters on a highway stopped a car in which they suspected armed people linked to Kuki insurgent groups were travelling, reports said. They set the vehicle on fire, after which clashes broke out. The occupants were taken away by the security forces.
The protests intensified across the district, with many blocking the road between Bishnupur and Churachandpur, and also the highway leading to Imphal International Airport. Commuters had a difficult time.
The protesters demanded the arrest of those who killed the two children - a five-year-old boy and a six-month-old baby girl, on April 7 after a bomb struck their home in a village in Bishnupur while they were asleep.
The terror attack had ignited anger and grief, and led to a faceoff between protesters and the CRPF in front of a camp. Three people were killed in firing by the security forces; many were injured.
The Manipur government had snapped mobile internet in five districts - Bishnupur, Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, and Kakching - in an effort to curb the spread of misinformation and prevent mobilisation of mobs.
The authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as security deployment remains heightened across sensitive areas.
