Bijapur emerges as India’s IED epicenter as Maoists shift to ‘Invisible War’
Raipur | Correspondent: The Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, particularly Bijapur district, has currently emerged as India's "IED epicenter." Amid increasing pressure from security forces and the shrinking influence of Maoist organizations, Naxalites have now changed their tactics. Face-to-face encounters have decreased in Bastar, but the "invisible war" hidden underground has become the biggest challenge for security forces.
Recently, the CRPF recovered a powerful 30-kg IED buried under the road on the Awapalli-Basaguda route, capable of blowing up a bus or a mine-protected vehicle. According to police, it was a "command IED" designed to be manually detonated using a 100-meter-long wire.
Official data for the year 2025 reflects the severity of this threat. Of the total 716 IEDs recovered across the country, 679 were found in Chhattisgarh alone, with 652 recovered in Bijapur district alone. This represents nearly 95 percent of the country's total recoveries.
Security officials say Maoists are now increasingly using "Victim Operated IEDs" (VOIs), which are activated by pressure or tension and are proving fatal for security forces as well as local villagers.
Bastar IG P. Sundarraj said that security forces are now considering the use of advanced technology such as Ground Penetration Radar (GPR), which can detect soil movement, to combat this threat.
However, the record recovery of 894 IEDs in 2025 also demonstrates the strengthening of security forces' intelligence and area domination operations. With Home Minister Amit Shah aiming to completely eliminate Maoism by March 2026, this 'burial war' poses a major test for security agencies.
