A 15-year-old villager in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district suffered severe leg injuries on Monday morning after accidentally triggering an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) believed to have been placed by Maoists in a forested area between Lendra and Korcholi villages. The victim, identified as Ram Potam, was exploring the forest when the explosion occurred, causing critical leg injuries. This incident underscores the ongoing threat of hidden IEDs in Maoist-affected regions.
Security forces, specifically the 222 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) stationed at the Korcholi camp, acted swiftly to provide initial medical assistance to the injured teenager. Subsequently, the boy was evacuated to the District Hospital in Bijapur for further medical care. Authorities have ramped up search operations in the area, with a focus on combing activities and neutralizing IEDs to enhance security and prevent future incidents.
Local police have issued a stern warning to residents, urging them to exercise extreme caution when traveling through forested and remote areas. They have advised the public to report any suspicious objects, activities, or materials immediately to the nearest police station or security outpost. Similar incidents have occurred in the past, posing a significant risk to civilians in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division, where Maoists frequently deploy pressure IEDs along pathways and forested areas to target security personnel and impede developmental projects.
Bijapur district remains highly impacted by Naxal activities, with frequent discoveries of explosives and encounters between security forces and insurgents. This recent explosion comes amidst intensified anti-Maoist operations in the region, with the objective of eliminating Left-Wing Extremism. The district witnesses regular incidents showcasing the clashes between security forces and Left-Wing Extremists. Notably, security forces achieved a significant victory on January 3 by neutralizing 14 Maoists in separate encounters spanning Bijapur and Sukma districts. In a specific operation in Bijapur, two Maoists were killed in a gunfight following intelligence reports about armed rebels in the southern forested area.
