In a major security operation against Naxals, Jharkhand Police on Friday detected a series of powerful landmines in the Barbaiya forest area under Manika police station of Latehar district.
Police busted as many as 25 landmines each weighing around 25 kg after Latehar SP Anjani Anjan got information.
“There was information that Naxals planted explosives in the forest area to target security forces. These were tiffin and cane bombs planted in a series,” police sources said.
Officer-in charge of Manika police station Shubham Kumar said that Latehar SP got information about the movement of JJMP operatives namely Manojar, Ganesh alias Vikas, Azad alias Kallu were moving in the forest area to extort levy and to execute some Naxal violence.
Latehar police carried search operation and after locating the exact place where IEDs were planted, police secured the entire area and detonated IEDs.
Police said that IED was so powerful that it could have caused heavy damage to security forces. Meanwhile, combing operation has been continued and additional forces deployed to sanitize the entire forest area. A day back a villager died in a landmine blast at the Dundru Chapal forest area under Serendag police station of Lohardaga district. The police confirmed the landmine blast which was a typical pressure bomb planted by CPI (Maoist) to target security forces. The locality where the incident took place is situated on the border of Gumla and Lohardaga.
The deceased was identified as Supal Turi, a native of Hesang who had gone to the forest to collect bamboo leaves for his cattle. Family members started searching for him when he did not return home. His body was found lying in the forest.