Manipur continued to slip into a state of perpetual violence with the third bomb attack by suspected Kuki-Zo militants since Sunday claiming the life of a 72-year-old priest and injuring five others in Bishnupur district on Friday.

The priest R.K. Rabei Singh of Phiwangbam Leikai was “performing the ashthi ceremony of the daughter-in-law” of former chief minister Mairembam Koireng Singh, an official told The Telegraph.

The priest was “hit” by splinters from the bomb that hit the residence of Koireng, who was the state’s first chief minister in the sixties.

The state government announced the closure of all schools on Saturday “keeping in mind the safety of students and teachers” soon after Friday’s attack.

Friday afternoon’s attack came hours after the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (Cocomi) — a leading conglomerate of Meitei-based civil society organisations (CSOs) — organised a human chain protest against the ongoing ethnic violence.

The trigger for the protest was Sunday’s drone-based bombings in Imphal West by suspected Kuki-Zo militants and the “lack of visible” action against the perpetrators by central forces and authorities, a Cocomi member said.

A woman visiting her maternal home was killed in the attack that left several injured. A similar attack was carried out again on Monday evening in Imphal, leaving three injured.

Women, lawyers, students, and members of the CSOs were among the participants in the human chain protest.

Soon after the Friday attack, the Cocomi also announced the shutdown of schools and colleges till situation improved.

“Long-range weapons have been used in Friday’s attack, most probably an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade), fired by Kuki militants from Churachandpur side,” the official said, adding the distance between the place from where the RPG was fired and the target place, which is the densely populated Moirang Bazar, is over 4km.

Meitei Heritage Society, a Delhi-based CSO, in a statement to The Telegraph said: “It appears that the inaction by the security forces has emboldened the Kuki militants, as they launched the missile attack at Moirang town today killing 1 and injuring 5, including a minor girl. It is a shame that the Kuki Militants are getting away such attacks with impunity.”