At least eight security personnel were injured when CPI (Maoist) rebels triggered a landmine explosion near Budha Pahad area of latehar district at Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh border on Thursday.
An official statement released from the State Police headquarters stated that the incident occurred at around 2:15 pm on Thursday when the Maoists ambushed the joint team of CRPF and State Police and triggered several landmines. A fierce encounter took place between the security personnel and the Maoists where the rebels also faced casualties, italso said.
State Police also said that seven of the eight injured jawans were airlifted and brought to Medica Hospital in Ranchi for better treatment. Condition of the injured jawans was said to be critical as all of them faced injuries on their face and forehead. Police jawans from Ranchi Police line were called to the hospital for donating blood.
Six of the injured jawans belong to KOBRA Battalion of CRPF, one is from district force and one from Jharkhand Jaguar. The injured personnel include CRPF ASI RK Pandyan, constables Atul Tamboli, Ramesh Biruali, Niwas Tete, Mukesh Kumar, Jharkhand Jaguar constable Dilip Kumar and Jharkhand Police jawan Kaushal Kumar Ravi.
Police said that Captain Sheelpriya Verma did a commendable job in evacuating the injured jawans from the encounter site and was felicitated by the DG and IG of State Police for the same.
The State police officials conducted a high-level meeting after the incident on Thursday evening chaired by DGP DK Pandey and other senior officials. Additional forces were also sent to the operations site to support the security personnel. Meanwhile, CRPF DIG, IG Ashish Batra and Ranchi SSP Kuldeep Dwivedi reached Medica Hospital to see the condition of the injured jawans.
However, the sources have informed that the incident took place when a team of security personnel were trying to evacuate an ailing jawan from the operations area. The Maoists first triggered 50 landmines and started firing at the security personnel immediately after the blast. The security personnel also resorted to retaliatory firing, they added.
Interestingly, a number of security personnel involved in anti-naxal operations in Budha Pahad area are falling prey to malaria. As many as 14 jawans have been admitted to Garhwa hospital with malaria symptoms. Those Jawan fell by the disease are Devanand Mehta, Rajesh Kumar, Amit Beck, Vijay Kumar Mrandi, Surendra Kumar all from STF, Nitin Dey, Jagdish Singh, Jitendra Kumar, Pawan etc. belonging to CRPF.