RAIPUR: A civilian was killed in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast that occurred near Kasturipad village of Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh, police said on January 18.
The explosion took place approximately 3km from Kasturipad village, which falls under the jurisdiction of Usur police station, injuring a local villager, Ayta Khurrami.
The blast caused grave injuries to both legs of Khurrami, who was evacuated and subsequently rushed to the nearest health centre. Khurrami, however, succumbed to his injuries while being taken for treatment. The development has been confirmed by officials.
IEDs planted by Maoists on forest trails often lead to injuries or casualties to civilians visiting the forest areas in Bastar, where the local population depends heavily on forest produce for their livelihood purposes.
Earlier, a 15-year-old boy had also suffered grave injuries in a similar IED explosion in Bijapur in the first week of January this year. Operations aimed at unearthing such IEDs are being continuously launched by security forces.
In 2025 alone, security forces have successfully unearthed and destroyed nearly 800 IEDs planted by Maoists.
6 Maoists killed in Bijapur encounter
Meanwhile, Bijapur police on Sunday said that a total of 6 Maoists were killed in an encounter with a joint team of security forces in an operation started in the early hours of Saturday, January 17.
Two more Maoists were killed in a fresh exchange of fire with a joint team of security forces on Sunday. The gunfight broke out in the same region where four other Maoists were neutralised in an encounter between security forces and extremists on Saturday, officials informed.
The neutralised Naxalites have been identified as Dilip Vejda, a divisional committee member of the Maoist outfit, area committee members Madvi Kosa and Lakkhi Madkam and another member, Radha Metta. The identities of the remaining two Naxalites are being ascertained.
Personnel from the Special Task Force, the District Reserve Guards and the Central Reserve Police Force were involved in the operation, which also led to the seizure of sophisticated weapons, including an AK-47 and an INSAS rifle.
The gunfight broke out in the National Park Area of Bijapur district, a region considered hot bed of red terror. With back-to-back encounters on Sunday and a day earlier, the National Park region has become almost free from Maoists’ presence, said Deputy Chief Minister of State Vijay Sharma.
Sharma, who also oversees the state’s home department, added that the government is working with full commitment against Naxalism and such operations will continue in future to ensure lasting peace and development in the region.
It is worth noting that the Union Government has announced its intention to eradicate Maoist insurgency by March this year.
