Chaibasa/Ranchi, April 6 (IANS) A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan was critically injured on Monday after he stepped on an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) during an anti-Naxal operation in the dense Saranda forest of Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district, officials said.

The incident occurred amid an ongoing search operation being carried out by security forces to flush out Maoist cadres hiding in the forest in Chaibasa. The jawan reportedly stepped on a pressure-activated IED planted along a forest track frequently used by patrol teams, resulting in a powerful explosion.

The jawan sustained severe injuries and was immediately evacuated. He was airlifted to Ranchi and admitted to a specialized medical facility.

Officials said that the operation in Saranda is still going on, with intermittent encounters reported between security forces and Maoist groups. The use of IEDs by insurgents has emerged as a major challenge, particularly in heavily forested zones where detection is difficult.

Maoist groups have intensified the use of explosives in recent months, especially after suffering significant losses. In January this year, security forces neutralized 17 Maoists in a major operation in the region, dealing a severe blow to the insurgent network.

Intelligence inputs suggest that, in retaliation, Maoists have laid a large number of IEDs along forest routes and approach roads to target security personnel.

The Saranda forest belt has witnessed a spate of such incidents in recent weeks. Between February and March, at least three major IED blasts were reported, leading to the death of a civilian and injuries to two personnel of the elite COBRA Battalion.

On March 1, an Assistant Commandant of the COBRA unit, Ajay Mallick, was critically injured in a similar explosion during a combing operation in the same region.

Following Monday’s blast, a high alert has been sounded across Chaibasa and adjoining Naxal-affected areas. Security forces have further intensified area domination exercises, route sanitization drills, and search operations to detect and defuse hidden explosives.

Officials said that operations will continue with a focus on minimizing casualties while sustaining pressure on Maoist formations to dismantle their operational capabilities in the region.

–IANS

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