Internet cut in 5 Manipur districts amid protest, security clampdown over 2 kids' death

THe regime of Manipur on tues ordered a temporary abatement of net and mobile river data services in five districts for three days amid unrest and security clampdown over the death of two children.Protests have erupted in Manipur over the death an infant and a five-year old in a suspected rocket strike on a house in Manipur’s Bishnupur district early Tuesday.The government of Manipur has ordered a temporary suspension of internet and mobile data services in Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Kakching and Bishnupur districts with immediate effect in view of the prevailing law and order situation.The injured were rushed to a hospital in Imphal. However, a five-month-old girl and a five-year-old boy succumbed to their injuries. Their mother sustained injuries in the attack. Protesters tried to storm a CRPF camp while oil tankers were set ablaze to protest the suspected rocket strike which killed two kids this morning in Moirang.What is happening in ManipurManipur, which has been a hotbed of ethnic violence, is tense again after the suspected bomb attack early Tuesday. Suspected Kuki militants carried out the attack at Moirang Tronglaobi Awang Leikai at around 1.03 am on Tuesday, an earlier HT report cited officials as confirming.The explosion occurred at the residence of a Border Security Force (BSF) personnel when the family was asleep after a projectile struck the bedroom window.Manipur home minister K Govindas condemned the attack on social media platform X, and said: “In a barbaric early morning act, two innocent children, a 5-year-old boy and a 5-month-old baby girl, lost their lives while asleep with their mother. Heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. Such brutality will not be tolerated. The matter is under active investigation, and all necessary steps are being taken to bring those responsible to justice.”Local residents reported hearing a loud explosion shortly after the projectile hit the house, triggering panic across the village. Tronglaobi, located close to the foothills of Churachandpur district, has long been considered vulnerable due to its proximity to areas where armed groups are believed to be active. Tronglaobi in Bishnupur district lies about 46km from state capital Imphal and is adjacent to Churachandpur district. It is the same village where the state witnessed its first rocket attack in September 2024. In this attack, a 72-year-old man was killed and five others were injured.Meanwhile, another rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) was found planted near the incident site.Security forces have increased deployment in the area, placing the region on high alert. Search operations and surveillance have been launched in adjoining hill areas to identify those responsible and prevent further escalation.A high court order sparked a deadly ethnic violence episode between Meiti and Kuki communities in Manipur in May 2023. While reports of violence decreased in 2025 after unrest for three years, the status of peace in the state remains fragile.The now-revoked Manipur high court order of May 2023 granted Meiti community certain benefits, including land ownership in protected areas and quotas in government jobs.