Man killed in IED blast in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur

A 20-year-old villager was killed in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district after accidentally triggering a pressure IED planted by Naxalites while in a forest. Police launched search operations, warned locals to remain cautious, and cited continued civilian casualties from Maoist violence in the Bastar region

Bijapur: A 20-year-old man was killed after a pressure Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Naxalites went off in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, police said on Monday.

The incident occurred on Sunday when the victim, Aayta Kuhrami, a resident of Kasturipad village under Usoor police station area, had gone to a nearby forest, a police official said.

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He inadvertently came in contact with the pressure IED, which exploded, causing injuries to his legs. The man succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to the hospital, the official said.

Security personnel have launched a search in the area to check if more IEDs were planted there, he said.

The official appealed to villagers to exercise extreme caution while going into forests and remote areas and asked them to immediately report any suspicious objects, activities, or materials to the nearest police station or security camp.

Maoists often plant IEDs on dirt tracks to target security personnel who use such routes during anti-Naxal operations inside forests. Civilians have also fallen prey to such traps laid by ultras in the Bastar region comprising seven districts, including Bijapur, police said.

On January 5, a 15-year-old boy was injured when a pressure IED planted by Naxalites went off in the district.

As many as 46 persons lost their lives in Maoist violence, including pressure IED blasts, in the Bastar region last year.