SUKMA: A culvert was partially damaged in an IED blast triggered by Naxals in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Sukma district, and no casualties were reported in the incident, police said on Friday.
The explosion took place on Thursday night between Gorkha and Kotacheru camps of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) under Bheji police station limits, an official said.
"Maoists triggered the blast in a bid to blow off the culvert located on Injram-Bheji road on Thursday night. Though the structure could not be blown off completely, serious damage was inflicted, affecting public transport," Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P said.
On being alerted about it, security personnel reached the spot and the restoration work was underway, he added.
The road between Injram, located on NH-30, to Bheji, considered a Maoist stronghold, is not only strategically important, but also crucial for people living in this inaccessible region, police said.
Such culverts also help healthcare personnel to reach villages in the interior areas, they said, adding that the naxals' attempt to destroy it has once again exposed their anti-people and anti-development face.