Security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district successfully recovered and defused a powerful 45-kg improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Naxalites on Friday, averting a major tragedy, police said.
The explosive device, found beneath the Cherpal-Palnar road, was detected in the morning by personnel from the 222nd battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) while returning from an area domination operation in the Gangaloor police station limits.
“The IED had a command switch mechanism, which is a common technique used by Naxalites. It was planted to target vehicles of security forces in the area,” a senior police official said.
The device, he noted, was capable of blowing up a mini-truck and creating a 15-foot-deep crater.
Also read: Chhattisgarh: 9 Naxals give up arms, cite ideological rift
A command switch mechanism allows the perpetrator to trigger an explosion remotely at a chosen moment, increasing the risk to security personnel.
The bomb disposal squad swiftly neutralised the device, ensuring the safety of patrolling forces in the Maoist-affected region, police added.
Naxalites frequently plant IEDs along roads and dirt tracks in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, which comprises seven districts, including Bijapur.
These explosives are aimed at security personnel patrolling deep-forested areas, but civilians have also suffered casualties in the past, officials noted.
On 6 January, a powerful IED attack in Bijapur killed eight police personnel and their civilian driver when their vehicle was blown up by Naxalites.
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