Chhattisgarh: Eleven security personnel were injured on Monday when improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by Maoists exploded in the dense Karregutta forest along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border. The blast occurred while forces were conducting a combing operation in the area, which has historically been a Maoist stronghold.
Among the injured were ten District Reserve Guard personnel and one officer from the Cobra Battalion. They were immediately airlifted to a Raipur hospital for emergency treatment.
Security officials said that the forests of Karregutta, covering approximately 200 square kilometers, contain multiple bunkers and fortified locations used by Maoists over the years. Many explosives planted in the past for defensive purposes were recovered by the CRPF during routine operations.
The ongoing operation, named Operation Kagar, aims to clear the area of remaining Maoist bunkers and explosives. Officials confirmed that the IEDs detonated during Monday’s patrol were previously planted by insurgents to target security forces. Following the explosion, two additional IEDs were located and safely defused by alert personnel.
Last year, during major encounters in April and May, security forces neutralized several Maoists and recovered 35 firearms, 450 IEDs, numerous detonators, medical supplies, and electronic devices. The CRPF has established a base camp in Karregutta to support continued operations and maintain vigilance in the region.
Authorities emphasized that combing operations will continue regularly to prevent Maoists from re-establishing a presence in the forested areas.