PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, August 8: Two personnel from the CRPF’s elite CoBRA battalion sustained serious injuries in an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) blast triggered by Maoists in the Digha area of West Singhbhum district on Friday afternoon.
The injured commandos were airlifted to Ranchi for urgent medical treatment.
The blast occurred during an anti-Naxal search operation in the dense forest, confirmed Chaibasa SP Rakesh Ranjan. The area, known for its rugged terrain and Naxal activity, remains a persistent hotspot for Maoist violence.
In an attempt to hinder the movement of security forces, Maoists have planted multiple IEDs beneath forest floors. These devices are designed to detonate under minimal pressure, posing a constant danger to personnel in the field.
Just two days ago, an IED planted on the Karamapada–Rengda railway track claimed the life of a railway trackman.
In June, CRPF jawan Satyawan Kumar Singh was martyred in a similar blast in the Saranda forest. Earlier in March, three IED explosions in the district killed a sub-inspector and injured five others.
Officials report that top 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.
Security forces have intensified operations in these areas and, over the past three months, have destroyed more than a dozen Maoist arms dumps, seizing a significant cache of weapons and explosives.
