BIJAPUR: A woman in her mid-50s was injured on Wednesday when an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Naxalites exploded after she stepped on it in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police said.
The incident occurred around 6:30 am when Jogi, a resident of Nadpalli village under Usoor police station area, was collecting forest produce, a police official reported. She accidentally stepped on the pressure-activated IED, triggering a blast that caused serious injuries to her legs.
Jogi was immediately taken to a health center in Usoor, where she received preliminary treatment before being referred to the Bijapur district hospital, the official added.
Maoists often plant IEDs along roads, under construction areas, and dirt tracks in forests to target patrolling security personnel in the interior pockets of the Bastar region, which includes seven districts, including Bijapur. Unfortunately, scores of civilians have fallen victim to such traps in Bastar, police said.
According to police, five people have been killed in Naxal-planted IED blasts at separate locations in Bijapur district over the last two-and-a-half months. On June 2, a 22-year-old man was injured in a similar incident in the Tarrem area of the district.