Chaibasa (Jharkhand), Oct 18 (PTI) A villager has been killed in an IED explosion in Jharkhand after he accidentally detonated it in a forest in West Singhbhum district, a senior police officer said on Friday.
Meanwhile, security forces recovered a similar explosive device from a forest on Friday.
Thursday's blast took place under the jurisdiction of Jaraikela police station when Sunil Surin (40), a resident of Markanda tola in Nawadih had gone to collect leaves in the Haradiri forest.
He accidentally detonated the IED planted by the Maoists and received serious injuries, the Superintendent of Police (SP) of West Singhbhum district, Ashutosh Shekhar, said.
The villagers brought him back home and began treatment but he succumbed to his injuries, the SP said.
The villagers, however, informed the police about it today and then the body was sent to a hospital for post-mortem examination.
Meanwhile, on Friday, security personnel comprised of CRPF, Jharkhand Jaguar, Cobra and district armed police in course of their continuous combing operation recovered an IED planted by the Maoists from another forest near Luiya village under the jurisdiction of the Tonto police station of the district, the SP said.
The IED weighing 5 kg was defused by the bomb disposal squad, he said, adding that the IED was planted in the forest to cause harm to the personnel engaged in the anti-Maoist operation, the SP said.
Describing the Maoists' attempt to target innocent villagers as "cowardice", the SP said anti-Maoist operations were continuing.