A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) head constable was martyred and two others were seriously injured after Naxals triggered an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in the Saranda forest area of Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district late Friday night.
The slain jawan has been identified as Head Constable Mahendra Laskar of CRPF’s 60th Battalion, a resident of Nagaon district in Assam. His body has been brought to Ranchi, where a wreath-laying ceremony was held at the CRPF camp in Dhurwa before the body was sent for post-mortem.
Police headquarters confirmed that the explosion occurred during an anti-Naxal operation in the Manoharpur block under the Jarai Kela police station area. The joint team of CRPF and district police was advancing through the dense forest when Naxals detonated two IEDs, targeting the security personnel.
Inspector Kaushal Kumar Mishra and Sub-Inspector Ramchandra Gogi were among those injured in the blast and are undergoing treatment at a hospital in Rourkela, Odisha. Officials said their condition remains serious but stable.
West Singhbhum Superintendent of Police Amit Renu said the attack took place during an ongoing anti-insurgency operation in the Saranda region, a long-time Maoist stronghold. “Two blasts were triggered by Naxals during the operation. Reinforcements have been sent and a search operation is continuing in the area,” he said.
The state police headquarters in Ranchi confirmed the martyrdom of Head Constable Laskar late Friday night. Inspector General (Operations) Dr. Michael Raj stated that the IED blast was part of Naxal attempts to retaliate against intensified police and CRPF operations in recent months.
According to police data, between March and October this year, three security personnel have been killed and nine others injured in IED blasts in the Saranda region. On March 22, CRPF Sub-Inspector Sunil Kumar Singh was killed in a blast in Chotanagpur area, followed by Jaguar jawan Sunil Dhan’s death in another explosion on April 12.
Security forces have been conducting extensive operations in the forest to dismantle Naxal hideouts and recover explosives. Despite repeated successes, the terrain and heavy vegetation continue to pose challenges to the forces.
Authorities said the latest attack, which coincided with the Naxal “resistance week,” underscores the continuing threat of Maoist violence in parts of Jharkhand, even as security agencies push to reclaim the region through coordinated operations.