Two constables of para-military Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) sustained injuries in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in Bastar region’s insurgency hotbed Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Saturday, police said.
The blast took place in restive Murdandha village falling in limits of Awapalli police station during morning hours, said Bijapur’s Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Indira Kalyan Elesela.
The injured CRPF constables were identified as Suresh and Abhay Pratap.
According to ASP Bijapur, while undertaking anti-Naxal exercise in areas between Awapalli and Basaguda, the constable duo accidently stepped on a powerful IED planted by rebels to target security personnel.
In the blast, the troopers suffered severe injuries and rushed to nearby hospital for treatment. The injured constables were airlifted to Raipur for advanced medical assistance.
Maoists who are largely referred as Naxals in Bastar, have stepped up offensive against police and para military in recent weeks and a trooper of Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF)-Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) was injured in an IED blast in Sukma on October 8.
Similarly, a CRPF constable was injured in blast of IED on October 3 in Sukma and a trooper belonging to 206th battalion of Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA)-a special unit of CRPF, was injured in IED blast on September 24 in Sukma.