Dantewada IED blast: A female bear and her two cubs were killed in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Naxalites went off, a forest official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred a few days ago in Kohkabeda under the Barsoor police station limits but came to light only recently when villagers discovered the carcasses and alerted the police, an official said.
"Since the area is highly sensitive and located in Abhujmaad, considered a stronghold of Naxalites, forest personnel have been trying to reach the spot while maintaining caution. Even locals refrain from visiting the area fearing IEDs planted by Naxalites to target security forces," he said.
Villager killed in pressure IED blast
Earlier on December 16, a villager identified as Manaru Akali (35), who had gone into the forest to collect wood, was killed in a pressure IED blast in the same area.
The outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) frequently plants IEDs along roads and in forests in the state’s Bastar region, which includes seven districts like Dantewada, targeting patrolling security personnel.
Seven Naxals killed, including wanted Maoist leader
In the gunbattle, a joint team of security personnel from the police and paramilitary forces succeeded in killing seven Naxals, including two women. Notably, one of the slain was Karthik, a member of the Odisha state committee of the Maoist insurgent group. Karthik, who carried a bounty of Rs 25 lakh on his head, was one of the most wanted Maoist leaders in the region.
Police officials, including IGP Sunderraj P, informed that the encounter took place in the hilly regions near the villages of Kalhaza and Dondarbeda in the southern parts of Abujhmad. The joint forces were actively pursuing wanted Naxals, who were disturbing the peace in the region, and had neutralized several insurgents in the course of the encounter.
(With PTI Inputs)
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Also Read: Chhattisgarh: Naxalite killed in encounter, two security personnel injured in IED blast
