Imphal,  A powerful bomb was detonated in Imphal East District of Manipur though none was hurt in the explosion as it occurred early in the morning on Wednesday, police officials said.

They said that an explosion took place in front of a medicine shop at Khurai Tinseed road in Imphal East District. No outfit has yet claimed responsibility for the blast.

Police said that the explosion was so massive that the iron shutter of the shop was blown several metres away and partially damaged the nearby shops. The detonation triggered a raging fire which burned the medicines, furniture and other items of the shop.

The security forces have launched a search operation to nab the perpetrators.

On November 18, a similar bomb was detonated at Kairang, a Muslim dominated area, in the same Imphal East District though none was hurt in the explosion.

Security forces including Army and para-military Assam Rifles are on high alert in Manipur after the seris of incidents specially after the deadliest terror attack on November 13 in which an Assam Rifles Colonel Viplav Tripathi and four jawans of the para-military force were gunned down in Churachandpur district bordering Myanmar.

Months ahead of the assembly elections in Manipur, militant activities have increased in the northeastern state with the authorities having asked the security forces to intensify vigil in the sensitive, mixed populated and vulnerable areas.