GUWAHATI: A powerful bomb blast struck a crowded marketplace in India’s restive northeast on Wednesday killing four people and injuring another 15, officials said.

The blast shook the heart of Imphal, state capital of Manipur, which borders Myanmar — an area that has been plagued by separatist violence for decades.

“Most of the victims were either shoppers or vendors,” senior state police official A.K. Singh said from Imphal, adding that “a powerful IED (improvised explosive device) was planted”.

“The injured have been shifted to the local medical college hospital, with at least six of them having serious multiple injuries,” Singh said. Hospital officials said four bodies had been recovered from the blast site.

No rebel group has claimed responsibility for the attack and it was not immediately clear what the motive was.

The remote state has long been affected by insurgent violence and is home to dozens of tribal groups and small guerrilla armies fighting New Delhi’s rule.

They often compete against each other in turf wars for dominance in the state.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2015

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