Narayanpur: Two Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel were killed and two policemen suffered injuries in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast orchestrated by Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district on Saturday. The explosion occurred near Mohandi village in the Abujhmad area while security forces were returning from an anti-Maoist operation.
The personnel belonging to the ITBP, Border Security Force (BSF) and District Reserve Guard of Police were involved in the operation launched from Orchha, Irakbhatti and Mohandi areas, he said. The blast took place when patrolling teams were returning after the operation. The four injured personnel were shifted to a hospital, the police officer said.
“Two ITBP personnel succumbed to injuries while the condition of the injured policemen was stated to be out of danger,” he said. Those killed were identified as Amar Panwar (36) of Satara in Maharashtra and K Rajesh (36) of Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, he said, adding that the duo belonged to the 53rd battalion of ITBP.
It may be recalled that a major Maoist encounter took place in Abujhmad on October 4 where the bodies of 31 Maoists were recovered. Recent reports indicated that the total number of Maoist casualties from that encounter has risen to 38, with the police identifying several of the deceased. The Maoists killed in this operation were reportedly carrying a combined bounty of over Rs 2.62 crore.
It may be recalled that in recent years, Maoist groups have been using IEDs in conflict areas and these attacks have hurt or killed many security personnel.
Major incidents of Maoists triggering IED blasts
17.07.2024: Two security personnel lost their lives and four others were injured in an IED blast while conducting an anti-Maoist operation in the forests of Bijapur district, located in the insurgency-affected Bastar region.
26.04.2023: Ten security personnel returning from a counter-insurgency operation and a civilian driver were killed when the vehicle they were travelling in was blown up by Maoists, in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada.
27.03.2023: An assistant platoon commander of the Chhattisgarh Armed Forces (CAF) was killed by unidentified Maoists in an explosion triggered by an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in insurgency-hit Bijapur district.
8.02.2022: Four personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast triggered by Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district.
13.03.2018: In the deadliest attack on security forces, Maoists blew up a mine protection vehicle (MPV) in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district, killing nine Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and seriously wounding two.
27.10.2018: Four personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed and two others injured after Maoists blew up a mine-protected vehicle (MPV) in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district police said.
11.03.2017: Twelve CRPF personnel were killed when they "walked into an ambush," laid by Maoists in Sukma, Chhattisgarh. The incident took place when more than 100 CRPF personnel were on their way to provide security to a road construction party. The troops first came under heavy fire and when they moved to take defensive positions they tripped on IEDs, which led to serial explosions.
18.05.2011: Five CRPF personnel were killed on the spot and two others were injured when Maoists blew up their vehicle using a powerful landmine near village Boguda, about 7 km from Sukma, in the Maoist-hit South Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.
6.04.2010: The worst ever IED attack targeting Security Forces, was when the Maoists first blew up an SF anti-landmine vehicle, and then fired indiscriminately, killing at least 75 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and a State Police trooper in an ambush at Chintalnar’s Tarmetla village, near the thick Mukrana Forests in the Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh.
8.05.2010: Eight CRPF jawans were killed when Maoists blew up a bullet-proof vehicle in Bijapur district of Chhhattisgarh.
13.07.2009: Thirty police personnel, including a Superintendent of Police, were killed in ambushes and landmine attacks by Maoists in three separate incidents in Rajnandgaon.
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