An improvised explosive device (IED) blast claimed the life of a central paramilitary personnel during an anti-Naxal search operation, cops said.
Satwant Singh, an Assistant Sub Inspector with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 134 battalion, was critically injured during a search operation that was being conducted deep inside the Banko jungle under K Balang police station. Later, Singh succumbed to injuries.
On Saturday morning, a joint team of security forces which also included the CRPF, COBRA, DVF, Odisha Police and other security forces, were conducting a search operation inside the deep jungles of Banko. Suddenly, an IED blast occurred at around 6 AM.
The ASI was leading from the front when he stepped directly on the IED, which exploded and blew off one of his legs. He suffered huge blood loss. He was immediately rushed to a private hospital at Rourkela where he was declared dead by the doctors, said a senior police official.
IEDs are nothing new to the Saranda jungles, which were once a fortress of the Maoists. And the West Singhbhum district was and is amongst the top four most affected by Maoist activities. IED blast is very common on the other side of the state border in West Singhbhum.
Last month, on May 27th, an explosive van was looted by nearly 40 armed Maoists near Ranto jungle, under KBalang PS. The total stolen quantity was 5 tons of gelatine sticks. Later on, security forces recovered most of the explosives during search operations. The owner of the explosive magazine Shravan Agarwal and one of his truck drivers were arrested by Rourkela Police for further enquiry.