Chhattisgarh: 70-Year-Old Tribal Woman Wounded in Naxal IED Blast, Loses Her Ankles

 Raipur: A 70-year-old tribal woman was on Wednesday grievously wounded in the Naxal improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Bijapur district under Bastar in Chhattisgarh, police said.

The tribal woman lost her two ankles in the incident.

The incident took place in the forested village of Tadepalli under Usur police station.

According to a senior district police officer, the woman stepped on an IED, planted by Maoists to target security personnel, while she was collecting forest produce in the morning.

She was taken to her home in the village by the fellow villagers.

A team of CRPF personnel reached the village when they learnt about the incident and took the injured woman to the district hospital in Bijapur.

She lost both the ankles in her legs in the blast and her condition was stated to be critical, the police officer said.

On January 13, an eight-year-old girl was seriously injured when she stepped on an IED, planted by Maoists, at a place on Cherpal- Palnar road under Gangaloor police station in Bijapur district.

Entire Bastar has been mined with IEDs by Maoists to stop the security personnel from entering the area.

Scores of innocent tribal civilians have been injured in IED blasts in the last several months.

Security forces have started dismantling the IEDs in Bastar.

“It is a very challenging task to clear the entire Bastar of IEDs, mined by Maoists. But, security forces have detected and defused many IEDs planted by Maoists to target security personnel. However, Maoists plant fresh IEDs in their stronghold”, a senior police officer in Bastar said.