Chhattisgarh: CRPF commando killed, 7 injured in IED blast in Sukma

Raipur: An official of the CRPF's specialised CoBRA unit has been killed and seven other personnel injured in an IED blast triggered by Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, a police official said on Sunday.

The Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off around 8.30 pm on Saturday in a forest near Aravraj Metta hills when a team of 206th battalion of the CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) and police was out on an anti-Naxal operation, he said.

No exchange of fire took place at the spot, which falls under the Chintagufa police station limits and is over 450 km from the state capital Raipur, the official said.

Eight commandos of the CRPF's elite unit were injured and later airlifted to a hospital in Raipur where Assistant Commandant Nitin P Bhalerao died during treatment, Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P said.

The deceased, belonging to CoBRA's 206th battalion, was a resident of Maharashtra's Nashik district, he said.

The seven other injured personnel were undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Raipur, he said.

"Initially, we had information that around five personnel suffered injuries, but later three more were found injured," the official said.