NARAYANPUR: A man was killed and another injured after an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Naxalites went off in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district on Friday, a police official said.
The incident took place in the afternoon on a dirt track between Jadda and Markud villages when the victims had gone to gather sticks to make brooms, the official said.
"The pressure IED exploded after Kanagoan residents Rajesh Usendi and Ramlal Korram, both 25, came in contact with it. Usendi died on the spot, while Korram is getting treated at Narayanpur district hospital," the official said.
"The incidents of villagers dying and getting injured due to such IEDs is increasing in Bastar region. It reflects the frustration of Naxalites and their anti-tribal mindset. More than 15 IEDs planted by Naxalites have been recovered this year in Narayanpur by security forces," he said.
In January, one villager was killed and two others sustained injuries in a similar pressure IED blast in Kurushnar village of Narayanpur.
On March 30, a 40-year-old tribal woman was killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Naxalites went off in neighbouring Bijapur district.
The Maoists often plant IEDs along roads, dirt tracks and in forest patches to target security personnel in Bastar region, comprising seven districts.
Civilians and cattle have fallen prey to such traps laid by ultras, as per police.