Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh): One jawan was killed and two others injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast triggered by Naxalites in Bijapur district’s National Park area on Monday, a police official said.
IG Bastar P. Sundarraj stated that the blast occurred in the morning during an anti-Maoist operation conducted by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) in the National Park area.
The deceased DRG jawan has been identified as Dinesh Nag, while three others sustained injuries. The injured personnel are reportedly in stable condition and have received first aid; they are being evacuated for further medical treatment.
Authorities said detailed information would be shared after the completion of the ongoing operation.
Earlier, on August 14, security forces neutralised two high-profile Naxal cadres with a combined bounty of ₹1.16 crore during a gunfight in Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district.
Vijay Reddy, a member of the Dandkaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) with a ₹90 lakh bounty, and Lokesh Salame, Secretary of the Rajnandgaon-Kanker Border (RKB) division carrying a ₹26 lakh reward, were killed in a joint operation by the Chhattisgarh Police, DRG, and the 27th Battalion of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on August 13.
The ITBP said the gunfight broke out while security forces tracked the duo in the dense forest belt during a coordinated anti-Naxal operation.
Officials described the elimination of Reddy and Salame as a major setback to Naxal activities in the Dandkaranya region and along the Rajnandgaon-Kanker border. Weapons and other Naxal-related materials were recovered from the site.
The slain cadres had been active among North Bastar’s leadership for the past two decades.
