Latest News from India - Bridge linking Manipur-Assam damaged in IED explosion

divspan class=BodyText readability=22Imphal: A bridge on National Highway 37,br / used by trucks for transporting essential items to Manipurbr / from Assam, has been damaged in an IED explosion in Cacharbr / district of Assam, officials said here today.p A major portion of Chirpur bridge, built over a river onbr / the Imphal-Jiribam-Silchar highway, was damaged last eveningbr / when IED kept along the bridge exploded in Fulartol area inbr / Cachar, the sources said./pp 'It will take about three months to repair the damage,br / during which no heavy vehicles would be allowed to ply,'br / Commanding officer of the 765 Border Road Task Force (BRTF)br / battalion, Col Binoy Bal, whose battalion maintains thebr / bridge, said./pp The impact of the blast was so much that glass windowsbr / and doors of nearby houses were damaged, the sources said./pp The bridge is located 10 km from the Manipur border townbr / of Jiribam and about 222 km from here./pp Most of the Manipur-bound trucks from Assam, carryingbr / essential items, were using the bridge for reaching Imphalbr / since the last few months as the trucks were facing extortionbr / demand from militant outfits on NH 2 (Imphal-Dimapur-br / Guwahati), the sources said./pp Manipur is linked with Assam and Nagaland by NH 37 and NHbr / 2./pp It was being investigated whether the militant outfits,br / who used to illegally collect 'tax' from vehicle owners on NHbr / 2, were responsible for the explosion which would then compelbr / the trucks to use the NH 2, the sources said./p/span/divbrbrcentera href=http://www.wizardrss.comPowered By WizardRSS.com/a | a href=http://www.wizardrss.comFull Text RSS Feed/a | a href=http://www.amazon.com/RFID-Blocking-Cards-Identity-Protector/dp/B00CJHZLEWRFID/a | a href=http://www.wpzonbuilder.comAmazon Affiliate/a/center