Imphal, July 22 -- An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast destroyed a key Bailey bridge over the Namban Lok River in Manipur's Kamjong district on Wednesday, cutting off the only road link between Chatric and several surrounding villages and the district headquarters. In the same incident, unidentified miscreants also set a Telecom Department vehicle on fire.

The blast occurred at around 9:30 am between Phange and Chatric villages in the border district, which shares an international boundary with Myanmar.

The damaged bridge, an iron-and-steel Bailey structure built under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), served as a crucial transport link for the region. Officials said the explosion destroyed the central portion of the ...