Two personnel of security forces were injured while patrolling during a routine area domination exercise near the Maoist-affected Jagargunda of Dantewada in Chhattisgarh on November 22. According to the reports, one of the Jawans who received serious injuries was airlifted to Raipur for treatment.
The incident occurred when personnel from Bastar Fighters, a counter-insurgency unit operating in the insurgency-hit Bastar region of the state, were out on a routine patrolling exercise between Aranpur and Jagargunda, where a road is being built under the watch of security forces. It’s been reported that upon sensing the approaching personnel, the Maoists blew up an Improvised Explosive Device injuring two Jawans of the unit.
It’s been reported that one of the Jawans received serious injuries in his leg during the blast. The injured personnel have been identified as Raushan Kumar, who was immediately airlifted to the capital, where he is being treated.
Maoist targeting development works
It is to be noted that the Ultras have planted a large number of IEDs and have been carrying out similar attacks to obstruct the development work in the region for a long time. Earlier, the security forces had also unearthed a command IED planted by the Ultras in the Kirandul region and diffused it successfully.
According to the reports, the IED was planted near Loha village and was later diffused by the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS). In another similar incident reported from neighbouring Bijapur district, a local villager was also caught up in an IED explosion triggered by the Maoists on Tuesday, November 21. The said villager was then referred to Bhadrachalam of Telangana for treatment.
Opening of security pickets in remote regions
It is pertinent to mention here that the security forces in recent years have bolstered their presence in the remote regions of Chhattisgarh by opening up a number of security pickets (Forward Operating Bases) in the regions earlier dominated by the Maoists.
It is believed that the opening of these security pickets along with the wide scale development works in the erstwhile Maoist’s strongholds have frustrated the Ultras who in turn are leaving no stone unturned in constantly attacking the security forces by carrying out IEDs explosions.
It is to be noted that the Union home minister, Amit Shah in recent months has time and again asserted that the war against the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) is in its final stages and the menace of Maoist terror will be uprooted from the country in a couple of years time.
