Powerful bomb recovered in Imphal

A bomb was today recovered near a shop at Shingjamei market complex near here in Imphal's West district of Manipur, officials said.

The bomb, planted by insurgents near a crowded road side apparently to target security personnel, was defused by bomb experts after it was reported to nearby Shingjamei police station at around 9.25 AM.

No individual or group has claimed responsibility for planting the bomb, they said. A 60-year-old man was killed and three others including two Assam Rifles jawans were injured yesterday when a powerful bomb exploded followed exchange of fire with insurgents in Manipur's Chandel district.

In another incident, a civilian and two Assam Rifles jawans were killed in a series of bomb blasts near Manipur-Myanmar border at Kwatha Khunou in state's Chandel district.

Four persons - two jawans and two civilians--sustained injuries as more than seven bombs planted on the side of road had gone off. The area was frequented by Assam Rifles personnel deployed at nearby Kwatha village.

An Assam Rifles spokesman late last night said of the four injured jawans, two died on the way to the hospital. The United National Liberation Front (UNLF) today claimed responsibility for the series of blasts at Kwatha Lamkhai area near Manipur-Myanmar border yesterday.