CRPF Sub-Inspector Hurt in IED Explosion Amid Maoist Clash in Jharkhand
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Synopsis
A CRPF sub-inspector was injured in an IED explosion during a clash with Maoists in Jharkhand's Saranda forest. The incident highlights ongoing security challenges in the region, with recent operations leading to the discovery of Maoist hideouts and weapon caches.
Key Takeaways
- CRPF sub-inspector injured in IED blast.
- Incident occurred during a Maoist encounter.
- Escalated security operations in Saranda and Kolhan.
- Multiple Maoist hideouts dismantled in recent months.
- Government aims to eliminate Maoist threat by 2026.
Chaibasa, March 18 (NationPress) A sub-inspector of the CRPF sustained injuries due to an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion during a confrontation with Maoists in the Saranda forest of Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district on Tuesday, as per official reports.
The injured officer, affiliated with the 134th battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force, was airlifted to Ranchi for medical care. The encounter took place near Radhapada in the Jaraikela police station vicinity, officials noted.
The explosion occurred while a collaborative unit of police and security forces was executing a search mission in the rugged and forested landscape.
This marks the second incident of this nature in the district within the current month. On March 5, three security personnel, including an assistant commandant of the CRPF's CoBRA battalion, were injured in a similar IED blast near the Baliba forest.
Security officials report that several prominent leaders of the CPI (Maoist) group, including Misir Besra, Anmol, Mochu, Anal, Asim Mandal, Ajay Mahato, Sagen Angaria, and Ashwin, are active in the Saranda and Kolhan regions alongside their squads. Consequently, security forces have escalated operations in these territories.
In the past month, police and security forces in Chaibasa have dismantled five Maoist hideouts and confiscated a significant cache of armaments. Earlier in March, they disrupted a Maoist camp in the Husipi forest under the Tonto police station jurisdiction, successfully neutralizing two IEDs weighing 10 kg each. Authorities also recovered a country-made pistol, two carbines, a rifle, 58 detonators, and other materials.
On February 24, security forces obliterated two Maoist camps in the Tonto police station area, seizing 10 firearms, including a US-made M-16 rifle, and over 500 rounds of ammunition.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has consistently stated that the Maoist threat will be eradicated by March 31, 2026, commending the endeavors of state police and security forces in battling Left-wing extremism.
