Jawan injured in Maoist IED blast in Jharkhand's Chaibasa airlifted for treatment

Ranchi, May 12 (IANS) A jawan of the Jharkhand Police Force sustained injuries on Monday after stepping on an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Maoists in the Chotanagra police station area of West Singhbhum district (Chaibasa) in Jharkhand, officials said.

The injured jawan, identified as Manoj Kumar Damai, was immediately airlifted to Ranchi for medical treatment.

The incident occurred during a joint anti-Maoist operation carried out by personnel from the CRPF's elite CoBRA battalion and the Jharkhand Jaguar unit in the dense forest region of Chotanagra.

Security forces had received Intelligence inputs suggesting the movement of a Maoist squad led by Anal, a senior CPI (Maoist) leader carrying a reward of Rs 1 crore on his head.

During the search operation, Damai accidentally triggered an IED. He was given preliminary first aid at the site and then flown by helicopter to a private hospital in Ranchi, where he is currently undergoing treatment.

Confirming the incident, Chaibasa Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Shekhar said that the anti-Maoist operation in the area is going on. “The forces are actively pursuing Maoist hideouts in the region. Our campaign will continue,” he said.

This is not the first such incident in the area. On April 12, Jawan Sunil Dhan succumbed to injuries sustained in a similar IED blast in the same police station jurisdiction. Another Constable was injured in that incident.

In March, three security personnel, including an Assistant Commandant of the CoBRA battalion, were injured in an IED explosion in the Jaraikela police station area, also under the Chaibasa district.

Despite the challenges posed by such attacks, security forces have made significant gains in the campaign against Maoist insurgents.

In April, forces discovered and destroyed 11 underground bunkers in the Babudera area of Chaibasa -- shelters that were reportedly used by top Maoist leaders.

In February and March, six Maoist arms dumps were located, and a large cache of weapons was seized.

Security agencies have said that senior CPI (Maoist) leaders including Misir Besra, Anmol, Mochu, Anal, Asim Mandal, Ajay Mahato, Sagen Angaria, and Ashwin remain active in the Saranda and Kolhan regions of Jharkhand along with their squads.

--IANS

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