As many as four Border Security Force (BSF) jawans and a civilian were injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast triggered by Maoists on Wednesday in violence-hit Bijapur district, police said.
Maoists targeted a bus carrying Border Security Force personnel returning from poll duty in Bijapur, around four kilometres away from the district headquarters at Mahadev Ghat.
“Two of the BSF jawans were very critical and they had been airlifted to state capital Raipur for urgent medical attention,’’
P Sundarraj, Deputy Inspector General (Anti-Naxal operation) told media persons.
The other injured BSF men had been admitted to a hospital in Bijapur. Reinforcement was rushed to the spot. The attack took place just two days after the first phase of polling in the state including in Bijapur district which has track record of poll-related Maoist violence.
The attack site is located about 450 kilometres from Raipur.
Naxal attacks have been common in sprawling Bastar region where leftist insurgents are active in forested interiors for about a quarter century. The second phase of polling in state for remaining 72 seats will be held on November 20.