Suspected IED blast hits NH-2 near Khuzama in Kohima, no one hurt

An explosion suspected to have been caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) damaged part of a retaining wall along National Highway 2 near Khuzama village in Nagaland's Kohima district on Wednesday morning. No one was injured.

Officials said the blast took place at around 7.30 am. Police and Army personnel were sent to the spot soon after, and the area was secured while the investigation began.

What was found at the site

Initial checks showed damage to the retaining wall along the highway, while trees on the other side of the road carried marks of the blast, according to officials quoted by the Daily Pioneer.

Around 110 metres of copper wire was recovered from the location. A machete and chocolate wrappers were also reportedly found on the hillside above the road, Eastern Mirror and Hub News reported.

Hub News, citing a local eyewitness, reported that the explosion happened shortly after an Army convoy had passed through the stretch. This has not been officially confirmed, and authorities have not said who may have planted the device or what the target was.

A forensic team from Dimapur was on its way to examine the site and collect evidence, officials said. Members of the village council also reached the spot along with police and Army personnel.

Chief Minister condemns the incident

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio condemned the blast and said such acts had no place in a civilised society.

In a post on social media, Rio said the incident created fear among people and threatened peace and harmony in the state. He said the government was seized of the situation and that all steps were being taken to ensure the safety and security of the people.

Second such incident this year

Khuzama lies on the southern edge of Kohima district, close to the Nagaland-Manipur border, and NH-2 is the main road link between Kohima and Imphal.

The blast comes months after a suspected IED attack on July 13 along the Chumoukedima village-Shokhuvi road in Chumoukedima district, which killed one Assam Rifles soldier and injured four others. The National Investigation Agency later arrested a suspect in that case.

The exact nature of Wednesday's explosion is yet to be established. NEInsider will update this story when police or the forensic team share their findings.