Four IEDs planted by Naxalites defused in Chhattisgarh

Narayanpur: A potential tragedy was averted with the recovery of four IEDs planted by Naxals to target security forces in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district, police said on Saturday.

The explosives were unearthed from the Kachchapal-Toke road under Kohkameta police station limits on Friday afternoon by a joint team of District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Border Security Force (BSF), a police official said.

The Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), weighing 5 kg each, were later defused by a Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS).

The police official said a cattle was injured and two villagers had a close shave when a pressure IED, planted by Naxalites, exploded in the same area on Friday morning.

On December 20, 2024, two personnel of DRG were injured in an IED blast in the same Kohkameta area, he said.

Naxals often plant IEDs along the road and dirt tracks in the forest to target security personnel patrolling interior pockets of the Bastar region comprising seven districts including Narayanpur. Several civilians have fallen prey to such traps laid by ultras in the past in the region, police said.

On Friday, a villager was killed and three others were injured in an IED explosion in Orchha police station area of Narayanpur.

In a deadly face-off with Naxals, eight police personnel and their civilian driver were killed on January 6 when Maoists blew up their vehicle in Bijapur district.

On January 9, three Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in Sukma district.