Protests Erupt in Manipur After Bomb Kills Two Siblings

Protests erupted across Manipur's valley districts on Sunday evening following a bomb attack earlier this month that killed two young siblings, intensifying ethnic tensions in the ethnically divided state. Thousands rallied in Imphal East, Imphal West, and Kakching districts, demanding action against those responsible for the April 7 incident in Tronglaobi village, Bishnupur district.

The attack occurred around 1 a.m. when a rocket-like projectile struck a Meitei family's home, killing a five-year-old boy and his five-month-old sister as they slept. Their mother sustained critical injuries but has since been discharged from the hospital and returned to her maternal home. Police and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) are probing the case, with officials linking it to suspected militants from nearby hill areas. Five cadres of the United Kuki National Army were arrested in Churachandpur district, and investigators recovered the projectile launcher about 100 meters from the victims' residence. Meitei groups have accused Kuki militants of firing from approximately three kilometers away, while Kuki organizations, including the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum, have denied...