CRPF jawan killed in blast during anti-Naxal operation at Odisha-Jharkhand border

A jawan of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was killed in an explosion during an anti-Naxal operation at the Odisha-Jharkhand border on Saturday, police said.

The deceases jawan as identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector Satyban Kumar Singh. He hailed from Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh and belonged to the 134th battalion of the CRPF, news agency PTI reported.

Singh was part of a team that was searching the Saranda forest for explosives robbed by Maoists from near a stone quarry in Odisha's Sundergarh district on May 27, an official was quoted as saying.

They said he sustained injuries on his left leg when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded around 6 am near the K Balang village in Odisha's Sundergarh district on Saturday.

He was taken to a hospital in Rourkela, where he succumbed to the injuries, officials said.

The search was being conducted by a joint team of the Odisha Police, Jharkhand Police and CRPF when the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off, they added.

About five ton of explosives were robbed from a stone quarry in Sundergar's Banko by Maoists.

“While three-fourths of the explosives have been recovered so far, the security forces continue their search for the remaining gelatin packets,” officials said.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi condoled the death of the CRPF official.

"Deeply saddened to know about the sacrifice of ASI Satyban Singh of CRPF in an IED blast during a combing operation at the Odisha-Jharkhand border. He has set the highest standard of service and courage by sacrificing his life for the security of the country. I pray for the eternal peace of the martyred jawan and express my condolences to the bereaved family," he said in a post on X.

In a statement, the Jharkhand Police said a wreath-laying ceremony will be held at the CRPF's 133 battalion headquarters in Ranchi at 5 pm.