2 CRPF commandos injured as IED planted by Naxals explodes in Chhattisgarh

Bijapur (Chhattisgarh), Jan 16 (PTI) Two commandos of CRPF's CoBRA unit were injured when a pressure improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Naxalites went off in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Thursday, police said.

    The incident occurred in the wee hours in Basaguda police station area when a joint team of security forces was out on an area domination operation, a senior police official said.

    Personnel belonging to the 229th battalion of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and 206th battalion of CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action), an elite jungle warfare unit of CRPF, were involved in the operation, he said.

    As per preliminary information, the personnel inadvertently came in contact with the pressure IED, triggering the blast and causing injuries to two of them, the official said.

    The injured constables, Mridul Barman and Mohd Ishaq, of the CoBRA 206th battalion, were evacuated and shifted to Basaguda CRPF camp where they were provided preliminary treatment, the official said, adding the duo was reported to be out of danger.
    They have been referred to a hospital in state capital Raipur for further medication, he said.

    Maoists often plant IEDs along the road and dirt tracks in forests to target security personnel during patrolling in the interior pockets of Bastar region, which comprises seven districts including Bijapur.
    Civilians have also fallen prey to such traps laid by ultras in the past in the region.

    On January 12, a 10-year-old girl was injured in Sukma district and two policemen suffered wounds in Bijapur district in similar incidents of IED blasts.

    On January 11, a CRPF jawan received injuries in a similar incident in Bijapur.

    On January 10, a villager was killed and three others were injured in two such incidents in Orchha area of the state's Narayanpur district.

    On January 6, Naxalites blew up a vehicle with an IED in Bijapur district, killing eight police personnel and their civilian driver.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)