A District Reserve Guard (DRG) sub-inspector was injured on Thursday when a pressure improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Naxalites detonated in a forest in the Indravati area under Bhairamgarh police station limits in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district. The incident occurred during an anti-Naxal operation conducted by a joint team of the DRG and the Special Task Force (STF), according to a police official.

Sub-inspector Prakash Chatti sustained injuries to his right ankle after inadvertently triggering the pressure IED. He received preliminary treatment at the site and was referred to a higher medical facility, with his condition reported as stable.

In a separate operation in the Tarrem police station area, security forces averted a major tragedy by recovering and neutralizing a 10 kg IED near Chinnagelur village. The explosive, detected by the CRPF’s 153rd battalion and its Bomb Disposal Squad during a patrol to secure the under-construction Chinnagelur-Tarrem road, was intended to target security personnel.

Naxalites frequently plant IEDs on dirt tracks in the Bastar region, including Bijapur, to ambush security forces during anti-Naxal operations. These traps have also claimed civilian lives in the past. The incident follows a June 9 attack in neighboring Sukma district, where an IED explosion at a stone quarry killed Additional Superintendent of Police Akash Rao Girepunje and injured two officers.

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The ongoing operations underscore the persistent threat of Naxalite violence in Chhattisgarh and the critical efforts by security forces to ensure safety in the region.

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