Two STF Personnel and Driver Hurt; Escape IED Blast in Chhattisgarh
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Synopsis
On March 24, three police personnel, including a driver, were injured in an IED explosion in Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh. The vehicle narrowly avoided a direct hit, with the injured receiving treatment and being reported out of danger.
Key Takeaways
- Three police personnel injured in IED blast.
- Incident occurred in Gorla Nala area of Bijapur.
- Maoists targeted STF jawans returning from an operation.
- All injured personnel are safe after treatment.
- Previous Maoist attacks in the region highlight ongoing risks.
Bhopal, March 24 (NationPress) In a narrow escape, three police personnel, including a driver, suffered minor injuries from an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Sunday, according to police officials.
The incident transpired in the Gorla Nala area when Maoists targeted a pickup truck carrying Special Task Force (STF) jawans.
The vehicle narrowly averted a direct hit from the explosion.
The blast, which occurred around 6 p.m., injured two jawans with shrapnel and left the driver, identified as Ritesh Bhaskar (23), with minor wounds.
Despite the intensity of the explosion—strong enough to form an eight-foot-wide and deep crater—all three injured personnel are reported to be safe.
This incident falls under the jurisdiction of the Madded police station.
The STF team was returning to Bijapur from Bhopalpatnam after conducting an anti-Maoist operation.
As the pickup truck traveled along the national highway between Dampaya and Gorla Nala, Maoists detonated the IED from the edge of the forest.
The shockwaves from the blast caused the injuries, but the vehicle itself suffered no significant damage.
The injured were initially treated at the Madded Health Centre before being transferred to Bijapur District Hospital for further treatment.
Police sources confirmed that the STF jawans were on a search operation when the attack happened, with the Maoists having planted the IED on the road beforehand.
This incident is reminiscent of previous Maoist attacks in the region.
Earlier in 2023, an IED blast in Dantewada's Aranpur resulted in the deaths of ten District Reserve Guard (DRG) soldiers and their driver.
More recently, on January 6, 2025, another attack in Bijapur killed eight soldiers and a driver during their return from an anti-Maoist mission.
On March 20, a team of security forces had a narrow escape when Maoists detonated an IED in Narayanpur district, police reported.
No severe injuries to security personnel were reported in that blast, but two policemen, including an officer, were evacuated for treatment after their eyes were affected by dust and soil due to the explosion's impact.
