Woman injured as IED planted by Naxalites goes off in Chhattisgarh

Bijapur: A woman was injured after an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Naxalites went off in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district in the early hours of Saturday, police said.

The blast occurred around 6.30 am near Bodga village under Bhairamgarh police station limits when the woman ventured into a forest to collect mahua fruits, an official said.

The village is on the other side of the Indravati River, more than 400 km from the capital Raipur.

As per preliminary information, the woman was returning from the forest when she came in contact with an IED, triggering the blast, he said.

The official said the woman sustained serious injuries to her legs and was rushed to the Bhairamgarh community health centre, from where she was referred to Jagdalpur for further treatment.

In May last year, two minor boys were killed in a similar incident in Bodga village, he said.

The Maoists often plant IEDs along roads, dirt tracks and forests to target security personnel patrolling in interior pockets of the Bastar region, comprising seven districts, including Bijapur.

Civilians have fallen prey to such traps laid by ultras in the past in the Bastar region, police said.