Imphal: A bomb believed to date back to World War II was discovered in Manipur’s southern Thoubal district on Tuesday, officials reported on Wednesday.
After receiving information from local residents about its presence, a team from the Manipur Police Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad, along with a sniffer dog, rushed to the spot.
The rusted, unexploded shell was found during earth excavation work for the construction of a retaining wall at Heirok Part-II, Tomal Makhong Leikai, in Thoubal district around 4 pm on Tuesday.
The bomb disposal squad retrieved the old explosive and safely detonated it at a secure location in Heirok later in the afternoon.
Manipur was a major battlefield during World War II. Unexploded World War II-era explosives and war materials have frequently been discovered in Manipur and Nagaland over the years, reflecting the intense fighting between Allied forces and the Japanese Army, which was supported by the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose-led Indian National Army in 1944.