9 soldiers martyred in Maoist IED blast in Bijapur

Bijapur | Correspondent: Nine security personnel were martyred on Monday when Maoists detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) targeting a vehicle in the Bedre area of Kutru.

The deceased include eight District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel and the vehicle’s driver, with several others sustaining severe injuries.

The attack occurred around 2:15 PM as DRG soldiers from Dantewada, Narayanpur, and Bijapur were returning from an anti-Maoist operation.

According to Naxal Operation Inspector General Vivekanand Sinha, the soldiers were traveling along Kutru Road when the blast struck their vehicle.

This assault comes in the wake of intensified anti-Maoist operations by the Chhattisgarh Police, which has resulted in over 210 Maoists being neutralized in the past year.

Notably, security forces had successfully eliminated five Maoists in an encounter a day before the blast.

The Maoist insurgency remains a critical challenge in the region, with the latest attack underscoring the continued risks faced by security personnel in the conflict zone.

Investigations are underway, and efforts to secure the area have been intensified.