IMPHAL: Rebels on Friday attacked an escort vehicle of BJP MLA and parliamentary secretary (home), L Sushindro at an interior corner of the newly set up Tengnoupal district bordering Myanmar, with a powerful bomb explosion, injuring four police commandos, two of them critically.This is the second attack inflicting casualty on government forces by rebels since the installation of the new BJP-led coalition government in March this year. The first attack, also with an IED explosion, was triggered on May 8 last at Lokchao area in the same district, along the Imphal-Moreh highway , killing two Territorial Army jawans.Chief minister Nongthombam Biren Singh, who also holds the home portfolio, condemned the attack and said that his government will take all steps to nab and book the culprits. The CM is currently in New Delhi to discuss developmental programmes of the state and also to attend a programme related to FIFA U 17 tournament. The CM also spoke to the MLA about the incident.The ill-fated police vehicle, a jeep, was moving out first from Kwatha, a Meitei village, as an advanced escort team of Sushindro, who was attending a Meitei deity festival there, police said.When the vehicle reached halfway between Kwatha and the Imphal-Moreh highway junction around 1.30 pm, the powerful bomb planted on the road went off, injuring the four police commandos, two of them seriously, a police officer added. The injured include sub inspector L Hmangte, and riflemen - Martin Star, S Gourahari and N Biswanath.Gourahari and Biswanath, who sustained grievous splinter injuries, were immediately airlifted by an army helicopter from the spot to a hospital in Imphal. The two belong to Manipur Rifles and attached to Imphal East district police and serve as commandos.Following the attack, a massive combing operation was carried out by the police and the Assam Rifles along the porous India-Myanmar border areas on Indian side.Manipur alone shares a 390 km porous border with Myanmar.Additional police forces were also rushed to the area from Imphal and Thoubal. Manipur police have beef up security across the state in view of the attack. No rebel group has claimed responsibility for the ambush yet.The state government had already announced of paying Rs five lakh each ex-gratia to the next of kin of the two Territorial Army jawans who were killed by militants on May 8.

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