Two injured in IED blast in Meghalaya, CM Sangma vows action

Shillong: Two people, including a woman, were injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast, which was triggered by the outlawed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) militant outfit in Shillong on Tuesday, said the local police.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has strongly condemned the blast, saying in a tweet that Home Minister, Lahkmen Rymbui and Meghalaya police officials have apprised him on the matter and further investigation is being carried out.

The Chief Minister also denied any intelligence failure in the blast and said that the government will ensure that all those who are involved in this incident will not be spared.

The IED explosion, which occurred behind a wall of a tea shop at Ïewrynghep (Laitumkhrah market) at around 1:30 pm, shattered window glasses of the adjacent building doors.

Inspector-General of Police Eastern Range, Manbha Kupar Dkhar told UNI that two persons sustained minor injuries in the blast and were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

One of the injured people is a woman tea seller, the IED bomb was planted behind her tea stall, while the other victim was a passerby.

“The electricity went off 10 minutes before the blast. First, we thought it was a cylinder blast and then thought a transformer had exploded. We were inside the shop and couldn’t see anything after the blast,” said Cynthia Nongkynrih, the sister of the victim, who made a narrow escaped when the blast took place behind their tea stall.

“We were cleaning our tea stall since we had plans to reopen our shop tomorrow. My sister sustained injuries. She couldn’t come out as the shop was filled with smoke. However, I managed to pull her out,” Nongkynrih said.

The State Cabinet, which met on Tuesday, has condemned the IED blast and has taken a decision that strong action will be taken against those responsible, Sangma said

“The police department has been working aggressively on and in the process a large number sleeper cells were arrested in connection with the recent blast in Khliehriat Police Reserve and other blasts in East Jaintia Hills district,” the Chief Minister said.

Congress legislator, Dr. Mazel Ampareen Lyngdoh has condemned the blast and demanded that the police arrest those people who were responsible for the blast.

“This blast happened in broad daylight. The entire Shillong city is vulnerable now. This is an attack on the public who have been trying to recover their livelihood after the pandemic,” she said.

Following the blast, a team of forensic experts, a bomb squad and a dog squad had examined the site of the explosion preliminary investigation, it is ascertained that the blast occurred due to an IED.

HNLC General Secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw has claimed responsibility for triggering the blast.

East Khasi Hills district, Superintendent of Police, Sylvester Nongtnger has urged citizens not to panic and if they find any abandoned or suspected item in their locality, they should immediately inform the nearest local Police Station or Police Control Room Shillong Contact No. 0364-2222214 / 0364-2222215.