Chhattisgarh: IED blast in Bijapur kills one jawan, two injured in anti-Maoist operation
One jawan was killed and two were injured in an IED blast by Naxalites in Bijapur district. The injured are in stable condition. Earlier, security forces neutralised two notorious Naxal cadres during an anti-Maoist operation, marking a significant blow to Naxal activities in the region.
One jawan lost his life and three others were injured in an IED blast carried out by Naxalites in the National Park area of Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Monday, according to a police official quoted by ANI.
Inspector General of Bastar, P. Sundarraj, stated that the explosion took place during an anti-Maoist operation conducted by a District Reserve Guard (DRG) team in the region earlier in the day.
DRG jawan Dinesh Nag was martyred in the incident, while three others sustained injuries.
The injured personnel are in stable condition and out of danger. They have received first aid and are being evacuated for further treatment.
Detailed information will be provided after the completion of the operation.
Earlier on August 14, the security forces neutralised two dreaded naxal cadres carrying a combined bounty of ₹1.16 crore during a gun battle in Chhattisgarh's Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district.
Vijay Reddy, a top member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) with a bounty of ₹90 lakh, and Lokesh Salame, Secretary of the Rajnandgaon-Kanker Border (RKB) division, who had a reward of ₹26 lakh on his head, were killed in a joint operation by the Chhattisgarh Police, District Reserve Guard (DRG), and the 27th Battalion of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on August 13 in the state’s insurgency-affected region.
The gun battle erupted during a coordinated anti-Naxal operation, the ITBP said in a statement. “Security forces had been tracking the movement of the duo in the dense forest belt when the exchange of fire broke out.”
According to officials, the elimination of Reddy and Salame is considered a major blow to Naxal operations in the Dandkaranya region and along the Rajnandgaon-Kanker border. Weapons and other naxal-related materials were recovered from the site.
The slain ultras were on the hunt among leaders of the North Bastar region for the past two decades.
(With inputs from ANI)