45 kg IED planted by Naxalites recovered in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur
Bijapur, Mar 28 (PTI) Security forces have recovered and defused a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Naxalites in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Friday, police said.
The explosive device, weighing 45 kilograms, was powerful enough to blow up a mini truck and could leave a 15-foot-deep crater, they said.
The IED, planted beneath the Cherpal-Palnar road, was detected in the morning by a team from the 222nd battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) when it was returning after an area domination operation in the Gangaloor police station area, an official said.
“The IED had a command switch mechanism, which is a common technique used by Naxalites. It was planted to target vehicles of security forces in the area,” the police official said, adding that a major tragedy was averted with the recovery.
A command switch mechanism allows the user to control when the device explodes.
The explosive device was neutralised by the Bomb Disposal Squad, he added.
Maoists often plant IEDs along the road and dirt tracks in the forest to target security personnel during patrolling in the interior pockets of the state’s Bastar region, comprising seven districts, including Bijapur. Many civilians have fallen prey to such traps in the past, police said.
On January 6, Naxalites blew up a vehicle with a powerful IED in Bijapur district, killing eight police personnel and their civilian driver.
