Three shops attacked with bombs and guns at Assam-Manipur border

Imphal: Three shops including a hardware store were badly damaged in an attack by unknown assailants throwing bombs and firing bullets at Durgra Lamtai Khunou under the Borobekra Sub Division of Manipur’s Jiribam District bordering Cachar district of Assam on the west in the early hours on Thursday, officials said.

The three shops belonging to one businessman, Haobam Budhi, 37, a resident of Lamtai Khunou under the Borobekra Sub Division of Jiribam were attacked by the armed men by triggering bombs and firing bullets at around 2 am on Thursday.

The shops that were selling computer parts, hardware stores, and grocery items were badly damaged.

Properties worth around Rs 10 lakh were reportedly destroyed due to this attack by the armed men, the owner of the shop Haobam Budhi complained to the police on Thursday.

This is the second time the unknown miscreants attacked the shops during the past few months, the shop owner said, adding that so far no individual or underground group made any monetary demands on him.

Police, in the meantime, said that the motive behind the attack is to be ascertained first and they are looking for the culprits.

Y Sanjoy, president of the Lamtai Khunou Youth Club, talking to the newsmen, drew the attention of Chief Minister N Biren Singh to arrest the persons involved in the attacks at the earliest for befitting punishments.

He also expressed his unhappiness over the police for their inability to capture the culprits involved in the attacks at the same shops a few months back.