11 Security Personnel Injured in Multiple IED Blasts During Anti-Maoist Operation in Chhattisgarh

Raipur: At least eleven security personnel were injured in a series of six Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blasts during an anti-Maoist operation in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Sunday, police said on Monday.

The explosions occurred while security forces were carrying out an operation based on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of Maoists in a forested area near the Karegutta hills, close to the Chhattisgarh–Telangana border.

The region is considered a stronghold of the first battalion of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), the armed wing of the Maoists.

Inspector General of Police Sunderraj P said the injured personnel were airlifted to Raipur for medical treatment.

“All the injured jawans have been shifted to Raipur. Their condition is stable and they are recovering,” he added.

The IED blasts took place at different points during the operation. Three personnel sustained serious injuries to their legs, while three others suffered splinter injuries to their eyes.

The remaining injured jawans received minor wounds.

Security forces continued search and sanitisation operations in the area following the blasts, amid heightened alert along the border region.

According to police records, at least 20 Maoists have been killed in separate encounters across Chhattisgarh so far this year. Bijapur district accounted for a significant number of anti-Maoist operations in 2024 and 2025 as part of intensified counter-insurgency efforts.

The Union government has set March 31, 2026, as the deadline to eliminate Left-wing extremism from the country.

The major successes in recent years, including the killing of senior Maoist leader Nambala Kesava Rao, alias Basavaraju, in May, have weakened the insurgent network.

The government has also stated that the number of Left-wing extremism-affected districts has come down to 11 from 18 in April, reflecting a steady decline in Maoist influence.

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