Five die in explosion at Indian Hindu temple

The death toll in a bomb explosion at a Hindu temple in India's northeastern state of Manipur rose to five, police said today…

The death toll in a bomb explosion at a Hindu temple in India's northeastern state of Manipur rose to five, police said today.

The explosion occurred last night near the state capital Imphal during prayers to celebrate the birth of the Hindu god, Krishna.

At least 35 people, including foreign devotees are wounded. A nine-year-old local boy was among those killed in the explosion.

Two Americans, a French and an Iranian women, who were at the temple run by ISKCON, the international Krishna consciousness movement, were among the injured.

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An intelligence official said an unidentified group had warned ISKCON officials not to hold any functions yesterday, when the rest of the country marked one of its biggest festivals.

Nearly a dozen guerrilla groups operate in Manipur, a Hindu-majority state of 2.6 million, some fighting for independence and others for autonomy and greater rights for local tribes.

The intelligence official said the attack may have been carried out by one of the local groups as part of a campaign to revive indigenous Hindu practices and discourage new religious movements like ISKCON.