Chhattisgarh: At least 11 security personnel were injured after six improvised explosive devices (IEDs were detonated during an anti-Maoist operation in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on the eve of Republic Day. All the injured personnel were airlifted to a hospital in Raipur, where their condition was reported to be stable.
The incident occurred during a joint operation launched following a tip-off about the presence of Maoists in the western part of Usur in Bijapur district. The operation involved the District Reserve Guard (DRG) of the Chhattisgarh Police and the elite CoBRA unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Of the injured, 10 personnel belonged to the DRG, while one was from the CoBRA unit.
The operation was carried out near the dense Karegutta hills along the Chhattisgarh–Telangana border. The area is believed to be a shelter for Battalion 1 of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), the armed wing of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). The Karegutta hills have long been considered a stronghold and safe haven for Maoists.
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According to reports, the first IED was detonated on Sunday morning, while the remaining blasts took place in the afternoon hours. The explosions were reportedly aimed at causing major casualties and spreading fear ahead of the January 26 Republic Day celebrations.
A similar anti-Maoist operation was conducted in the dense forests around the Karegutta hills during April–May last year, during which 31 Naxalites were eliminated.