RANCHI: A Jharkhand Jaguar jawan was injured in a Maoist-triggered IED blast on Monday and was airlifted to Ranchi for better medical treatment.
According to police, the incident occurred in the Marangponga forests under the jurisdiction of the Chhota Nagara police station in Chaibasa. The condition of the injured jawan is stable and out of danger, they said.
Sources stated that a joint team of Jharkhand Jaguar and the CRPF's CoBRA battalion were conducting a search operation to trace the squad of wanted Maoist leader Anal Da.
“Manoj Kumar Damai accidentally stepped on an IED planted by the Maoists, causing it to explode,” stated the official communique from Police Headquarters in Ranchi. The incident took place at around 10.45 am on Monday, it said.
After the incident, the forces intensified their operation in the area.
Earlier, on April 12, Jharkhand Jaguar jawan Sunil Dhan had been seriously injured in an IED blast triggered by Maoists in the heavily forested border area between the Chotanagra and Jaraikela police stations in West Singhbhum. That incident also occurred during a search operation in the Chhota Nagara police station area.
Notably, several Maoist commanders are active with their squads in the Saranda forests of Chaibasa and have planted thousands of IEDs to check security forces from entering the jungles, due to which regular incidents of blasts are taking place during operations.
Since November 2022, as many as seven security personnel have lost their lives, while 20 others were critically injured. Additionally, nearly 22 civilians have died and a dozen others were critically injured in IED blasts triggered by Maoists in the jungles of Chaibasa.
Maoists have also distributed pamphlets in villages adjacent to the jungles, warning residents not to enter deep into the forests as they may step on an IED and lose their lives.
According to the Chaibasa SP, even though Maoists have planted IEDs across the entire area, forces are advancing slowly into the jungles with full determination and have established several temporary security camps in core Maoist areas.
The state police launched a joint operation in the Kolhan jungles in November 2022 after receiving a tip-off that senior Maoist leaders, including Misir Besra and Patiram Majhi alias Anal Da, were hiding in that forest stretch, which is considered strategically important.