Bijapur, Jun 19 (PTI) A woman in her mid-50s was injured on Wednesday when an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Naxalites went off after she stepped on it in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police said.
The incident took place around 6.30 am when Jogi, a resident of Nadpalli village under Usoor police station area, was collecting forest produce, a police official said.
She accidently stepped on the pressured IED triggering a blast, causing serious injuries to her legs, he said.
Jogi was immediately taken to a health centre in Usoor where she was administered preliminary treatment before being referred to the Bijapur district hospital, he said.
Maoists often plant IEDs along roads, under construction roads and dirt tracks in forests to target patrolling security personnel in interior pockets of the Bastar region comprising seven districts including Bijapur. Scores of civilians have fallen prey to such traps in Bastar, police said.
According to police, five persons have been killed in Naxal-planted IED blasts at separate places in Bijapur district in the last two-and-a-half months.
On June 2, a 22-year-old man was injured in a similar incident in Tarrem area of the district.