CRPF sub-inspector killed, jawan injured in IED blast triggered by Maoists in Chhattisgarh

A sub-inspector of the CRPF’s elite CoBRA unit was killed and a constable injured when a pressure bomb, planted by Maoists, went off in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district. The blast occurred when a road opening party of the CoBRA was out on patrolling.

An official of the CRPF’s elite CoBRA unit was killed on Thursday and another jawan injured when a pressure bomb, planted by Maoists, went off in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district, police said.

The blast occurred around 7.45 am in a forest near Puswada village when a road opening party of the 206th battalion of the CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) — a specialised unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) — was out on patrolling, a senior police official told PTI.

“Sub-inspector Rajesh Kumar, belonging to the CoBRA 206th battalion, was killed in the explosion, while constable Manik Tinpare of the same unit sustained minor injuries,” he said.

The road opening party had launched the operation between Timilwada to Dornapal, around 500 km away from the capital Raipur, he said.

While security personnel were cordoning off a forest near Puswada, the CoBRA official came in contact with a pressure improvised explosive device (IED), planted by Maoists beneath the dirt track, that exploded leaving the two personnel, including him, injured, he said.

Reinforcement was rushed to the spot and the injured personnel were brought to the field hospital of CRPF in Chintagufa where Kumar succumbed to his injuries, he said.

The injured jawan will be airlifted to Raipur for further medication, he said.

A combing operation has been launched in the area to nab the ultras, he added.