Two CoBRA commandos injured in IED blast during anti-Naxal operation in Chhattisgarh

Two CRPF CoBRA commandos were injured in a pressure-activated IED blast during an anti-Naxal operation in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh. The blast occurred while security forces were conducting area domination in a Maoist-affected forest zone.

Raipur/Bijapur: In an incident highlighting the persistent threat of Naxalite tactics in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, two commandos from the Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) unit have sustained minor injuries in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast.

The explosion occurred on Monday in the dense forests of the Pillur-Kandlaparti area under Farsegarh police station limits in Bijapur district, a known Naxal-affected zone.

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A joint team comprising personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF) — both state police units — and CoBRA commandos was conducting an area domination and anti-Naxal search operation when the team inadvertently triggered a pressure-activated IED planted by Maoists.

According to police officials, the blast took place as the patrolling team was cordoning off the forest area. A quick response from fellow personnel ensured the situation was brought under control immediately.

The injured CoBRA commandos received first aid on the spot before being airlifted or transported to a hospital in Raipur, the state capital, for advanced treatment.

The injured personnel are stable and out of danger, with injuries described as minor, the officials said.

Security forces have said that the limited extent of the injuries averted a potential major tragedy, crediting the team’s training and vigilance.

Maoists frequently deploy IEDs along dirt tracks, roads, and forest paths in the interior pockets of the Bastar division — encompassing seven districts, including Bijapur — to ambush patrolling security forces. Such devices have claimed the lives of personnel and civilians alike in the past, underscoring the asymmetric warfare tactics employed by the insurgents amid intensifying anti-Naxal operations.

Recently, Sukma in Chhattisgarh witnessed a significant success in the fight against Naxal insurgency, with ten Maoists from the Darbha division surrendering before security forces. The surrendered cadres carried a combined bounty of Rs 33 lakh, including Medium Bhima, who alone had an Rs eight lakh reward on his head.