Chaibasa, March 5 Three security personnel, including an Assistant Commandant of the CRPF’s CoBRA battalion, were injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast triggered by Maoists in Jharkhand’s Chaibasa district, officials said on Thursday.
They were airlifted to Ranchi for treatment.
The explosion occurred on Wednesday in Baliba, under the jurisdiction of the Jaraikella police station, during a joint search operation by security forces and police in the densely forested and hilly terrain.
Chaibasa's Superintendent of Police (SP) Ashutosh Shekhar said that the incident occurred amid an ongoing anti-Maoist operation.
The injured CRPF Assistant Commandant and two jawans were quickly evacuated to a helipad before being flown to Ranchi by helicopter.
The incident comes amid the visit of the CRPF DGP to Jharkhand.
In the last ten days, security forces have seized a significant cache of weapons by dismantling three Maoist hideouts in Chaibasa.
On March 4, a Maoist camp in Husipi forest, under the Tonto police station area, was demolished. Security forces defused two 10 kg IEDs and recovered a country-made pistol, two carbines, a rifle, a 10 kg IED, 58 detonators, and other items from there.
On February 24, two Maoist camps in the Tonto police station area were destroyed. Among the recovered weapons were 10 firearms, including a US-made M-16 rifle, along with over 500 bullets.
Intelligence reports suggest that senior CPI-Maoist leaders -- Misir Besra, Anmol, Mochu, Anal, Asim Mandal, Ajay Mahato, Sagen Angaria, and Ashwin -- are operating in the Saranda and Kolhan regions with their squads. Security forces continue their offensive against them.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier said that the anti-Maoist operations in the country are in the final stages and that Maoism will be completely eradicated by the end of March 2026.
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