Watch: 5kg IED placed by Maoists diffused in Chhattisgarh's Sukma

NEW DELHI: Security forces defused a 5kg improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Maoists in the insurgency-affected Sukma district of Chhattisgarh on Thursday.


The device was found in Banga village on the Kokta Gollapally Road during a routine patrol by a joint team of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) 228th battalion and the district police. The bomb was safely diffused without incident.

Maoists frequently plant IEDs along roads and dirt tracks in forested areas to target security personnel during patrols. Civilians have also been victims of these deadly traps in the past.

Just last week, a jawan from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was injured in a similar blast in Narayanpur district.

This is part of a disturbing trend of IED attacks in the region. On February 15, a commando from the CRPF's elite CoBRA unit was injured in a similar attack in Bijapur district.

The same month, a CRPF jawan was injured in Sukma, and two security personnel were hurt in Bijapur district due to IED explosions.

In January, a series of attacks targeted both civilians and security forces, including a 10-year-old girl in Sukma and two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel in Narayanpur.

A villager was killed and three others injured due to IED explosions in Orchha, Narayanpur.

In response to the ongoing threat of Maoist violence, the CRPF recently opened a new operations base in the heart of Chhattisgarh's south Bastar region. The forward operating base (FOB) at Pujari Kanker, established on February 13, will strengthen security efforts in this Maoist-dominated area. The FOB is strategically located near Maoist camps and weapon storage sites, serving as a hub for anti-Maoist operations.

The area is home to the 1st battalion of Maoist forces, making it a critical location for the CRPF's anti-Naxal strategy. In the process of establishing the base, the CRPF demolished a Maoist memorial using heavy machinery. The Pujari Kanker FOB is the 13th in a series of such bases built as part of the Union government's plan to eliminate left-wing extremism by 2026.

As the Maoists prepare for their annual tactical counter-offensive campaign (TCOC), expected to ramp up in the summer months, the CRPF's new FOB aims to enhance local engagement. Recently, the CRPF conducted a medical camp, treating 70 local residents, which is a step toward building trust with the community and weakening Maoist influence in the area.

Over the past few years, the CRPF has established more than 40 FOBs across Chhattisgarh, with a focus on the Bastar region, which borders Odisha and Telangana. These strategic bases are vital to countering the Maoist threat in some of the toughest anti-Naxal operations in the country.

(With agency inputs)