A devastating bomb attack in the early hours of Tuesday has claimed the lives of two young siblings and left their mother injured, reigniting tensions in Manipur’s volatile Bishnupur district. The incident, which occurred in the village of Moirang Tronglaobi, has sparked a wave of violent protests and fresh calls for accountability in the state’s ongoing ethnic conflict.
According to senior police officials, the tragedy unfolded around 1:00 AM when suspected militants hurled an explosive device into a private residence. The victims, a five-year-old boy and a six-month-old girl, were reportedly asleep in their bedroom when the bomb detonated. Their mother sustained injuries in the blast and is currently receiving medical attention. The proximity of Moirang Tronglaobi to the hill district of Churachandpur has made it a frequent flashpoint for violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities over the past two years.
The deaths of the two children triggered immediate and widespread outrage. By Tuesday morning, local residents took to the streets in a series of intense demonstrations. Protesters torched two oil tankers and a cargo truck near a local petrol pump, while others burned tires in a blockade outside the Moirang Police Station. During the height of the agitation, reports indicate that vandals targeted a makeshift police outpost. Authorities have since deployed a significant number of security forces to the area to restore order and prevent further escalation.
In the aftermath of the blast, security personnel conducting a sweep of the vicinity recovered a second explosive device near Tronglaobi, narrowly averting further potential casualties. Local MLA Th Shanti Singh of the National People’s Party (NPP) issued a scathing condemnation of the attack, labeling it an act of terror and attributing the violence to “Kuki narco-terrorists.” He described the deaths of the infants as an “inhuman act” that has no place in a civilized society.
This latest tragedy adds to the grim toll of the ethnic clashes that first erupted in Manipur in May 2023. To date, more than 260 lives have been lost, and thousands of families remain displaced. Despite various peace initiatives, the volatile border regions between the valley and the hills continue to witness sporadic gunfire and explosive attacks, leaving the civilian population caught in a cycle of grief and instability.
