RANCHI: A 58-year-old woman was killed in an IED blast that took place in the Maoists infested jungles of West Singhbhum, about 140 km the state capital.
Identified as Randaya Purti, she had gone to collect firewood from the Kolhan jungles near Maradiri village, under the Goelkera police station area on Thursday morning.
According to police, the woman lost her life after she stopped over an IED planted by the Maoists. Her two sons, however, had a close shave as they were walking behind at a distance from her, they said.
“A 58-year woman, who had gone into the jungles to bring fire wood, got killed in an IED blast which took place on Thursday. The dead body could be recovered today only,” said Chaibasa SP, Ashutosh Shekhar.
Notably, the Maoists have planted thousands of IEDs to check security forces entering into the jungles, due to which regular incidents of blasts take place during operations. Since November 2022, the IEDs in Kolhan jungles have claimed the lives of 12 civilians. As many as four security personnel have also been killed while 28 others were critically injured in the blasts.
Since, the incident took place deep inside the Kolhan jungles, the information reached police only on Friday, following which, the dead body of the deceased was recovered and seized.
The Maoists had distributed pamphlets in the villages adjacent to Kolhan jungles warning the villagers not to enter deep into the jungles as they have planted IEDs there.
According to Chaibasa SP, despite the fact that Maoists have planted IEDs in the entire area, forces are advancing slowly into the jungles with full determination and have established several temporary security camps in their core areas.
The state police have launched a joint operation in Kolhan jungles in November 2022 last year after a tip-off that some of the senior Maoist leaders, including Misir Besra and Patiram Majhi alias Anal Da, are hiding in that forest stretch, which is said to be strategically important.