Bhubaneswar: As many as three jawans on Friday sustained injuries as an improvised explosive device (IED), suspected to have been planted by the Maoist activists, went off during a combing operation in Batepanga forest on the Boudh-Kandhamal districts in Odisha.
The explosion occurred when a team of jawans were conducting a combing operation.
Initial reports said that the jawans were carrying out a search operation after getting information regarding the movement of Maoists in the area.
Boudh superintendent of police (SP)Raj Prasad said, “A combing operation exercise was being conducted and the jawans got injured in an IED blast. The operation was on the Boudh-Kandhamal border area. The jawans sustained minor injuries in the blast.”
A few days ago, the Odisha director general of police had reviewed the anti-Maist operations in Boudh and said that the Maoist presence has been reduced in the district. However, it is suspected that the rebels are still active in the region.
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and district police had also busted Maoist camp and dump in the state recently.
In December 2023, an exchange of fire between Maoists and the security forces was reported during a combing operation at Nalikumbha forest under Manmunda police limits in Boudh district.
On December 24 last year, two jawans of the Special Operations Group (SOG) had sustained critical injuries after an improvised explosive device (IED), suspected to be planted by Maoists, exploded in Kandhamal district.
