Wednesday, February 15 2006 12:42 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Imphal: Five army jawans were injured, two of them seriously, in a bomb blast at Mantripurkhi area of Manipur's Imphal West district today (Feb 15,2006), official sources said.

Official reports said unidentified militants detonated the bomb at around 8 this morning using a remote control device when 22nd Maratha Light Infantry personnel were crossing Mantripukhri, four km north of the state capital, on the Imphal-Dimapur NH 39.

The army men were injured by bomb splinters and the explosion also damaged their vehicle, the reports said.

Defence sources said 14 jawans were travelling from army headquarters at Leimakhong, about 25 kms north of here, to Imphal airport when the incident took place.

Injured personnel were immediately rushed to the nearby Border Security Force hospital for treatment, they said.

Official sources said senior Assam Rifles officials and police superintendents of Imphal West and Imphal East districts rushed to the spot minutes after the blast was reported.

A search operation was launched in the area and eight suspects have been rounded up, sources said adding that the suspects are being interrogated at a nearby police station.