Manipur: Protesters shot dead as mob storms CRPF camp after two children killed in bomb attack

Two protesters were shot dead after a mob allegedly stormed a Central Reserve Police Force camp in Manipur’s Bishnupur on Tuesday, a police official told Scroll.

The incident followed an attack earlier in the day in the district in which two children were killed by suspected Kuki militants, PTI reported.

The mother of the children, who were five months old and five years old, was injured in the incident at Tronglaobi Awang Leikai, said the state’s home minister.

The attack took place at about 1 am when a bomb thrown by the suspected militants fell on a house, PTI reported. The three were asleep at the time of the explosion.

As tensions escalated through the day, a mob stormed a CRPF camp, attempted to snatch weapons and set fire to a few vehicles, the police official told Scroll.

CRPF personnel then opened fire, killing two protesters and injuring several others, reported The Northeast Post.

In response to the violence, the Manipur administration suspended internet services, including mobile data, in five districts – Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Kakching and Bishnupur – for three days

“There exists apprehension that some anti-social elements might use social media for transmission of images, hate speech and hate video messages inciting the public which might have serious repercussions on the law and order situation in Manipur,” stated the home department.

Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh said that the government will hand over the case of the bomb attack to the National Investigation Agency.

Addressing a press conference, Singh said that the act “appears to be the handiwork of individuals or groups with vested interests in disturbing the prevailing peace in the state”.

He added that the state police, Assam Rifles and the Central Reserve Police Force, have been deployed and helicopters are being used to search for the perpetrators.

State Home Minister Konthoujam Govindas Singh said the chief minister had instructed that the perpetrators be caught “dead or alive”.

Kuki-Zos not involved in bomb attack: Tribal forum

Meanwhile, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum, a Kuki organisation, rejected the allegations that members of the community were connected to the incident.

The group said that “any untoward incident” affecting the Meiteis “should not be automatically attributed to the Kuki-Zo people without proper investigation”.

The buffer zones between Kuki-Zo and Meitei areas are “heavily guarded by security forces, making it virtually impossible for Kuki-Zo individuals to cross undetected to carry out any form of attack or to plant explosive devices in Meitei localities”, the organisation stated.

The nearest Kuki village to Tronglaobi is abandoned and currently held by the central security forces, “further disproving these allegations”, the forum said.

According to PTI, the village is located near the hill areas of Churachandpur and has witnessed tensions since the ethnic clashes broke out between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities in May 2023.

At least 260 persons have been killed and more than 59,000 persons displaced since the conflict began. There were periodic upticks in violence in 2024 and 2025.

State Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said on social media that “such brutality” will not be tolerated.

“The matter is under active investigation, and all necessary steps are being taken to ensure that those responsible are swiftly identified and brought to justice in accordance with law,” he added.