Six IED explosions in quick succession injured 11 security personnel in Chhattisgarh on the night before Republic Day. The incident took place in the Bijapur district, where security forces were carrying out an anti-Maoist operation in the forested hill region.
IED blasts during anti-Maoist operation
According to police sources, members of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the CRPF’s elite Cobra Battalion had gone on a search operation against Maoists in the Karegutta hills of Bijapur on Sunday. During the operation, multiple improvised explosive devices (IEDs), allegedly planted by Maoists, went off one after another.
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Ten personnel from the District Reserve Guard and one officer from the CRPF’s Cobra Battalion were injured in the blasts. Among the injured is Cobra sub-inspector GD Rudresh Singh of the 201 Battalion. Reports indicate that three jawans suffered serious leg injuries, while three others sustained eye injuries.
Intelligence inputs and ongoing search
According to reports from national news media, police had received intelligence inputs that a battalion of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), the armed wing of the Maoists, was hiding in the hills. However, it is not yet confirmed whether that group was directly behind the explosions. Sources claim that at least 100 armed Maoist cadres are believed to be hiding in the forest area.
Following information about Maoist presence west of Usur in Bijapur district, the District Reserve Guard, a special team of the Central Reserve Police Force, and Cobra forces launched a joint operation on Saturday. During this operation, the security team came under an IED attack on Sunday night.
Security forces have intensified search operations in the area following the incident.
