A chilling incident unfolded in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Sunday, leaving five CRPF personnel injured in an IED blast triggered by Naxal insurgents. The incident occurred around 7 am in the Tarrem police station area as a squad from the CRPF’s 153 battalion was meticulously conducting a de-mining exercise. This exercise, a crucial safety measure, was designed to detect and safely dispose of potentially deadly IEDs planted by Naxalites.
The squad, hailing from the Chinnagelur CRPF camp, was diligently searching for explosives when they encountered a wire connected to a pressure-activated IED. As they cautiously investigated the wire to locate the source of the bomb, the device detonated, sending shrapnel flying and injuring five personnel.
The impact of the blast resulted in splinter injuries to the faces, eyes, and abdominal areas of the injured personnel. These included CRPF Assistant Commandant Vaidya Sanket Devidas, Inspector Sanjay Kumar, and constables B Pavan Kalyan, Lochan Mahato, and Dhole Rajendra Ashruba.
After receiving initial medical attention, the injured jawans were swiftly airlifted to the state capital, Raipur, approximately 430 kilometers to the north.
The CRPF is heavily deployed in Chhattisgarh to combat the ongoing Naxal insurgency. This latest attack comes on the heels of a September 24 encounter between security forces and Naxal cadres in the dense jungles of Sukma district. The day prior to the IED blast, three Naxalites, including a woman, were killed in a separate encounter with security personnel in Narayanpur. This intense gunfight erupted in the forests of Abhujmaad, a region straddling the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border, while a joint team of security personnel was conducting an anti-naxal operation.
Earlier in September, security personnel recovered three IEDs from different locations in Sukma district. The discovery of these dangerous devices highlights the persistent threat posed by Naxal insurgents, who frequently employ IEDs as a means of targeting security forces. During a routine road security operation conducted by a team from the CRPF’s 217th battalion and its elite unit, C-208 CoBRA battalion, two tiffin IEDs, weighing 5 kg and 3 kg respectively, were unearthed.
The continued use of IEDs by Naxals underscores the complex and challenging nature of the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in Chhattisgarh. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks faced by security personnel who bravely work to protect the region from the threat of Naxal violence.
