On Wednesday 16th July 2006, Janamashtami celebrations in an International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple in the North-East Indian state of Manipur came to a sudden halt, as the occasion became the target of a devastating terrorist grenade blast.

The Chinese-made hand grenade had been thrown in amongst a crowd of thousands of Hindu devotees, resulting in the death of five innocent worshippers. Many more were injured in the attack. Some have very severe injuries and are in critical conditions. It is feared the death toll may rise in the days to come, say sources in the Regional Institute of Medical Science and Hospital. Among the casualties were a 10-year-old boy and a 70-year-old woman.

Official sources say that no group has yet claimed responsibility for this dreadful act of violence and no arrests have been made to date. Taking a tough stance, the Chief Minister of Manipur O. I. Singh said that 'the Government will leave nothing to chance to book the killers and give them fitting punishment'.

Police have cordoned off the area and have launched a search for those responsible. A police official said "The blast is most probably the handiwork of one of the armed militant groups. We are yet to unfold further details."