The death toll in Tuesday’s firing by security forces in Manipur’s Bishnupur district rose to three on Wednesday.

Security personnel resorted to firing on Tuesday when protesters tried to storm a CRPF camp in Bishnupur following the death of two minors in a bomb attack at Tronglaobi.

The unfolding situation prompted chief minister Y. Khemchand Singh to chair a second security review meeting in 24 hours on Wednesday to assess the situation and steps to restore normalcy.

Officials said 29-year-old Wahengbam Boby, who was injured in the firing incident, passed away on Wednesday morning at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal. On Tuesday, Huidrom Michael, 40, and Laishram Jiten, 41, died of bullet injuries.

Manipur home minister, Konthoujam Govindas Singh, had said on Tuesday that five protesters were injured in the firing incident to disperse the crowd that “tried to storm a CRPF camp” following the killing of the two children — five-year-old Oinam Tomthin and his five-month-old sister Oinam Yaisana.

Police had earlier said there was an attack on a post of security forces (SFs) by a “violent mob of around 400 people”.

“Burning of vehicles and breaking of barracks by the mob led to firing by the SFs, which resulted in two dead and around 20 injured…” the police said in a post on X on Tuesday night.

The day saw chief minister Khemchand chair a Unified Command meeting at the Secretariat, attended by home minister Govindas, along with chief secretary, security adviser, director-general of police, and senior officials from the army, Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF, ITBP and SSB.

The unified command is a security arrangement involving the state police, the army and the central para-military forces.

“The meeting undertook a comprehensive review of the prevailing law and order situation and associated security concerns. Measures, in accordance with constitutional provisions, were deliberated in detail to effectively respond to the current challenges and to ensure the restoration and maintenance of peace, stability, and public safety,” the chief minister posted on X.

The focus of the high-level review was on coordination among security forces, intelligence gathering and effective deployment of security forces to prevent fresh escalation.

The meeting was necessitated because the situation remained tense across the five Meitei-majority valley districts.

Singh had on Tuesday termed the bomb attack a “barbaric act” and “an outright assault on humanity and a direct attempt to derail the hard-earned peace in Manipur”, and said the probe would be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

All the five districts — Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Kakching and Bishnupur — are under curfew, and are also without internet services since Tuesday.

Protests, seeking arrest of those involved in the incident, were staged in several areas.

The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (Cocomi), a leading Meitei organisation, tried to take out a protest rally amid the curfew in Imphal East in the afternoon, but the attempt was foiled by the security personnel.

The organisation is demanding the resignation of the chief minister and the home minister over the death of the two children in the bomb attack on Tuesday.

Link to blast

Three suspected members of a proscribed outfit have been arrested in connection with the bomb blast at Tronglaobi in Manipur’s Bishnupur district that killed two children, police said on Wednesday.

The arrests have been made in Churachandpur district, a police statement said.

On Wednesday, the police said: “In various operations launched in the aftermath of the Tronglaobi incident, three cadres, suspected to be of the United Kuki National Army (UKNA), were arrested in Churachandpur District with arms and ammunition.”

The UKNA is not a signatory to the Suspension of Operations pact signed between the Centre, the state government and the Kuki and Zomi
militant groups.

Those arrested have been identified as Jampao Kuki, Sasang and Paulallem Vaiphai, police said, adding that an AK-47 rifle with 25 bullets, a pistol with 15 rounds, ₹20,100 cash, and two sacks of raw opium weighing 21.19kg were seized from them.

Moreover, search operations in the Molphei Tampak area of Churachandpur led to the seizure of an automatic rifle, a pistol and other arms, they said.

Additional reporting by PTI