Four security personnel, including a District Reserve Guard (DRG) inspector, were killed on Saturday when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated during a demining operation in Kanker district, police said.
The blast marks the first Naxalite-linked explosion in the state since it was declared free of armed Maoism on March 31, and the first fatality of security personnel engaged in anti-Naxal operations this year.
The incident occurred around 11:30 am in a forested area near Aadnar village under Chhotebethiya police station limits, close to the Narayanpur district border.
A joint team comprising DRG personnel, Bastar Fighters, and district force members was conducting a search and demining operation based on intelligence inputs about Maoist dumps in the region.
Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj Pattilingam said that security forces had, in recent months, recovered and neutralised hundreds of IEDs planted by Naxalites across the Bastar region, following inputs from surrendered cadres and other sources.
During Saturday’s operation, the team first located a Maoist dump and recovered materials. Around 11:30 am, they detected another cache containing an IED buried underground. The device exploded while personnel were attempting to retrieve it for defusal, critically injuring four members of the team.
Inspector Sukhram Vatti (40) of the DRG, who was leading the operation, constable Krishna Komra (35) of the district force, and constable Sanjay Gadhpale (29) of the Bastar Fighters died on the spot. Another injured constable, Parmanand Komra (29) of the Bastar Fighters, was airlifted to Raipur but succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
While Inspector Vatti was a resident of Bijapur district, the other three personnel were from Kanker district.
A Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) was also present at the site. Police said preliminary findings suggest the explosion may have been triggered by an accidental circuit connection during retrieval, though a detailed forensic and ballistic examination is underway.
Following the incident, security forces launched a search operation in the area.
(With inputs from PTI)