Dantewada, May 23 (IANS) Security forces in Chhattisgarh achieved a major success in the ongoing campaign against Maoist activities after recovering and safely destroying a pressure cooker IED (Improvised Explosive Device) weighing around five kg in the dense forest area of Hidpal village under the Barsur police station limits.

Police officials said the timely detection and neutralisation of the IED prevented what could have turned into a major tragedy involving security personnel as well as local civilians.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs received on Saturday, a joint team comprising the District Police, the ‘Young Platoon’ and the Bomb Disposal Squad of the 195th Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force launched a cordon and search operation in the hilly and forested areas around Hidpal village, officials said.

The operation began early in the morning at around 5 a.m. under the guidance of Second-in-Command Vikrant Verma and Assistant Commandant Sanjeev Kumar Yadav.

The teams moved cautiously through the difficult terrain, focusing on areas considered vulnerable to Naxalite presence and hidden explosive devices.

During the intensive search operation at around 8.20 a.m., security personnel spotted a suspicious object concealed inside the forest area.

Showing high alertness and strictly following safety protocols, the personnel immediately cordoned off the area and called in experts from the Bomb Disposal Squad.

Upon careful examination, the suspicious object was confirmed to be a pressure cooker IED allegedly planted by Maoists with the intention of targeting security personnel and creating fear among local residents.

Using specialised technical procedures, the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) successfully neutralised and destroyed the explosive device on the spot without any untoward incident.

The timely action by the security forces averted a potentially devastating attack.

Additional search operations were later conducted in nearby sensitive areas to ensure complete area domination and rule out the presence of any other hidden explosives.

The entire operation concluded successfully at around 10.55 a.m., with all officers and personnel returning safely to their respective base camps.

No casualties or injuries were reported during the operation.

–IANS

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