Army man killed in Manipur bomb explosion, two injured

An army jawan was killed and two others were seriously injured when a powerful bomb, allegedly planted by insurgents, exploded in Manipur's interior Churachandpur district bordering Myanmar and Mizoram this morning.

Official sources said personnel of 11 Gorkha Rifles were on patrol duty when the bomb, which was attached to a culvert, exploded at around 6.40 am killing a jawan on the spot and injuring two others seriously.

It was not immediately known whether the suspected insurgents used remote-controlled device or a timer.

The place of occurance is about 6 km from Churachandpur police station and about 50 km south of the state capital, the sources said.

Security and police personnel posted near Churachandpur police station immediately surrounded the area and launched a search operation but none was apprehended and it is being suspected that the assailants might be hiding in the nearby thickly wooded hilly area.

No individual or group has so far claimed responsibility for the incident which is the first major attack on army personnel this year, the sources added.