HT DIGITAL
IMPHAL, JUNE 30: A critical mishap was prevented in Manipur’s Bishnupur district on Sunday when central security forces and Manipur police, including a bomb disposal and detection team, were able to find and neutralize an unexploded mortar shell. The 51mm ILLG illuminating mortar shell was found at Terakhongshangbi Maning Laithel, which falls under the Moirang Police Station jurisdiction.
The operation was initiated early on Sunday morning at approximately 7 a.m., after a tip-off by the local villagers. The bomb was discovered while the locals were conducting their usual agricultural activity during the current monsoon season in a paddy field. Sensitized to the possibility of danger, the villagers immediately alerted the authorities, and this prompted the quick response of the joint security team.
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Later, bomb disposal officials found the explosive to be a 51mm ILLG mortar bomb, a weapon chiefly utilized to light up battlefields for troop deployment, reconnaissance, and aerial photography. The device is said to be a leftover from the recent series of ethnic clashes that broke out between two groups along the Churachandpur and Bishnupur interdistrict borders.
After the discovery, police lodged a case and ascertained that during the outburst of violence in Manipur, huge amounts of explosives—many pilfered from government warehouses—had been employed by both sides. The state government has since made a report of recovery or seizure of over 28,000 such explosives, including mortars, grenades, and improvised devices.
The officials also pointed out the growing employment of drones in attacks purportedly based from Kuki-Zo controlled territory. Some of the numerous explosives used in the conflict included 51mm and 2-inch mortar bombs, weapons that have taken a heavy toll in terms of violence and are credited with killing more than 260 individuals.
The salvage of the unexploded bomb highlights the continued threat of residual ordnance in war-torn regions, and the ongoing need for caution from both civilians and security forces.
