IED in Cachar: Bomb was planted to attack Manipur officials; Police investigating insurgent connection 

Cachar Police have arrested four persons, including a woman, in connection to the explosive that was discovered at Jujam in Lahipur, nearby NH37, on November 23. On that day, locals noticed a suspicious item beneath a culvert at Jujam next to the Highway that connects Silchar with Manipur. Later, the bomb squad Cachar police, led by SP Ramandeep Kaur, confirmed the unidentified material as Improvised Explosive Device, better known as IED.

Today, Cachar SP has informed about the development in the investigation of recovering IED. “So far, we have arrested four individuals, including a woman – Raibul Nessa, who is a source of PLA (People’s Liberation Army – an insurgent group active in Manipur). All of the detainees are natives of Lakhipur; the women are from Jaypur area. The investigation is on; we will go the root of this,” SP Ramandeep Kaur informed. “We are investigating the matter; what can know it could have some connections with some organizations, but we are not able to exactly pinpoint the thing,” SP added.

“According to tip-offs, the target was some Manipur officials,” SP also informed.

On November 13, insurgent groups of Manipur, allegedly PLA and MNPF (Manipur Naga People’s Front), had ambushed a convoy of Assam rifles and killed a Commanding officer and other personals in Singhat sub-division of Manipur’s Churachandpur district. This was a major militant attack on security forces in Manipur since 2018 when an Army convoy came under ambush in Chandel district, which resulted in the death of 18 personnel of the Road Opening Patrol (ROP) of the 6 Dogra Regiment of the Army.