Two victims were treated at a hospital for injuries caused by the blasts
The Meitei Heritage Society alleged that suspected Chin-Kuki militant or armed groups were behind the attacks
Manipur has remained tense since ethnic violence erupted in May 2023
The early morning calm of January 5 was shattered in Manipur’s Bishnupur district when two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) detonated near Saiton Nganukon, leaving two civilians seriously injured and reigniting fear in a region already scarred by more than two years of violence.
Sanatomba Singh and Indubala Devi were at home, barely a kilometre away from the blast site, when they heard the first explosion. Like several other residents, they rushed towards the area to see what had happened. Before they could make sense of the situation, a second explosion went off, injuring both of them.
“I was running after the second explosion until I couldn’t run anymore,” 37-year-old Devi told Outlook over the phone. “There was an unbearable pain in my left leg. That’s when I realised something had pierced my calf and it was bleeding badly.”
Both victims were taken to a nearby local hospital. Doctors removed a piece of the bomb that had lodged in the Singh’s right calf during surgery. Hospital authorities said both victims are undergoing treatment.
Police said that on January 5 an IED exploded inside a house at Nganukon Ward No. 7/8 under Phougakchao Ikhai police station in Bishnupur district. A second IED detonated shortly after in the nearby Saiton Nganukon Ward No. 8, where Singh and Devi sustained injuries.
According to police and local residents, the house where the first explosion took place and the surrounding areas have remained abandoned since violence broke out in 2023, with many homes burnt down. About one-and-a-half kilometres away, however, residents of the Meitei-dominated Saiton Nganukon village continue to live in precarious conditions, with around 200 people staying in a relief camp.
Phougakchao (also known as Phougakchao Ikhai) is located in the Moirang area of Bishnupur district and shares a border with Churachandpur district, which has a predominantly Kuki population. Nganukon is part of the Moirang subdivision and falls within the same postal area as Saiton.
Manipur Police said combing and search operations are underway in the adjoining areas, and security measures have been strengthened to prevent further escalation. An investigation has been launched to identify and apprehend those responsible for the blasts. The case was transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday.
The explosions come weeks after another bomb attack on December 16 at Torbung, about four kilometres from the latest blast site. That attack occurred on the same day hundreds of people, who had been living in relief camps in Manipur’s valley areas for over two years, returned to their village near the foothills of Bishnupur district.
Fear And Uncertainty
The recent blasts in Saiton Nganukon, have made the villagers anxious, again. Vikram Aheibam, a resident of the relief camp housing around 200 people, said the explosions hit too close to home. “We are scared and angry. We are literally living barely a kilometre-and-a-half away from where this happened,” he said.
Locals said they had been living in uncertainty for nearly three years and no longer expected much from the government, except basic safety measures. They alleged that rehabilitation measures were limited to families whose houses had been abandoned, not those whose homes were burnt down. Even among those who have returned, they said it was mostly men, while women and children continued to stay back in camps.
Aheibam said they don’t receive much financial assistance and described their situation as worse than ever. “We get just Rs 84 a day. Our situation is worse than ever,” he said, adding, “If nothing else, at least save our lives.”
Devi, who lost her husband four years ago, now survives by doing domestic work in people’s homes and fields to support her three young daughters. She said the continued attacks showed a lack of political will.
“If the government was actually concerned, they would have done something by now,” Devi said. “So many people have died, many have been injured, and it’s still continuing.”
Allegations Fly Thick
The Meitei Heritage Society, a civil society organisation, condemned the attack in a statement, alleging that it was carried out by “suspected Chin-Kuki militant or armed groups” and noting that at least two civilians were injured.
“What is more disturbing is the attack was carried out even as Central Security Forces were
deployed in close proximity. The incident raises grave concerns about the prevailing security environment and the audacity of armed groups operating with impunity,” the statement read.
The Kuki Zo Council, representing the tribal community, also condemned the incident, describing it as “deeply disturbing and irresponsible”, and warned that it posed a “serious threat to peace, public safety and communal harmony” in a statement released on the day of the blast.
In another statement issued on January 6, the tribal Council reiterated its political demand for a separate administration in the form of a Union Territory, stating that the Kuki-Zo people could no longer live together with the Meitei community. The council said it would not participate in government-formation in Manipur.
Manipur has remained tense since ethnic violence erupted in May 2023. The state has been under President’s Rule since February 2025. Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently reviewed the ground situation with Governor Ajay Bhalla and senior officials. President’s Rule was imposed on February 13, days after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned on February 9. The state assembly, with its tenure until 2027, has been placed under suspended animation.
