The blast near Singjamei comes less than two weeks after a grenade attack on a CRPF Rapid Action Force outpost in New Lambulane, Imphal East, injured a head constable. No group has claimed responsibility for the latest explosion.
BY PC Bureau
October 19, 2026: Three personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were injured in a bomb blast near Singjamei in Imphal West district late on Sunday night, officials said.
The explosion occurred at around 11.41 pm, approximately 500 metres south of Singjamei Police Station. The injured personnel belong to E Company of the CRPF’s 189th Battalion, stationed at Kakwa Lamdaibung Lampak.
The injured have been identified as C. Poonambalam, 58, Ramesh Kumar, 57, and Pabitra Kumar Jena, 56. All three were evacuated to a private hospital in Imphal for treatment.
Police were investigating the circumstances surrounding the explosion. No organisation had claimed responsibility for the blast at the time of reporting, and the nature of the explosive device had not been officially established.
Another attack on central forces in Imphal
The blast comes less than two weeks after a grenade attack on a CRPF outpost in New Lambulane, Imphal East district.
On the night of October 8, a hand grenade was reportedly hurled at the gate of a Rapid Action Force (RAF) outpost. Head Constable Dhananjay Rai, 40, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, sustained serious splinter injuries and was subsequently shifted to a private hospital.
The banned outfit People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (Progressive), or PREPAK (Pro), later claimed responsibility for that attack through its Cobra Task Force. The outfit reportedly cited alleged excessive force by security personnel during earlier protests as its reason for carrying out the attack. The group’s claim and stated motive were not independently verified.
Valley-based underground organisations, including PREPAK (Pro) and the National Revolutionary Front of Manipur (NRFM), have been associated with claims or allegations relating to attacks on security personnel in the Imphal valley. However, responsibility for individual incidents must be established separately through investigation and corroborated evidence.
READ: Communal Violence Rocks Manipur: One Killed, Several Injured
READ: Two Meitei Farmers Reportedly Killed in Attack in Imphal East
Security concerns persist in the Imphal valley
Manipur has remained affected by ethnic tensions since violence erupted between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities in May 2023. Although the intensity of large-scale clashes has fluctuated, security agencies continue to contend with sporadic violence, weapons recoveries and attacks involving suspected explosives.
Central Armed Police Forces, including the CRPF and its Rapid Action Force units, remain deployed alongside Manipur Police and other security agencies.
Investigators have yet to establish whether Sunday night’s explosion specifically targeted the CRPF personnel or their deployment location. No conclusion has been announced regarding the perpetrators or the motive.
The condition of the three injured personnel and further details about the explosive device were awaited as the investigation continued.
