Minor injured as IED planted by naxalites explodes in Sukma

The girl inadvertently stepped over the pressure IED, triggering blast

Sukma (Chhattisgarh): A 10-year-old girl was injured when a pressure improvised explosive device (IED) planted by naxalites went off in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district, police said on Monday.

The incident took place on Sunday evening on the outskirts of Timmapuram village under Chintalnar police station area, a senior police official said.

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As per preliminary information, the girl inadvertently stepped over the pressure IED, triggering the blast, he said. The girl suffered injuries and was shifted to a hospital, the official said, adding her condition was reported to be stable.

Naxalites 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 Sukma, Bijapur and Narayanpur.

Civilians have in the past also fallen prey to such traps laid by naxalites in the region, police said.
In neighbouring Bijapur district, two policemen were injured when a pressure IED plant by naxalites exploded on Sunday, while a CRPF jawan received injuries in a similar incident on Saturday.

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

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