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Bijapur, Nov 20 (IANS) In a major success against left-wing extremism, security personnel of Bhairamgarh police station and Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDS) in Bijapur district on Thursday detected and safely destroyed a 10 kg powerful improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Maoists on Chihka-Uspari road in Maoist-hit Bastar region.
This action was taken in Uspari village area of Bhairamgarh police station area.
Senior police officials said a joint team was conducting routine surveillance and search operations in the area when alert troops noticed an electric wire suspiciously emerging from the ground along a rural road frequently used by villagers and security forces.
Following standard operating procedures, the team immediately cordoned off the area and conducted a thorough search. Within minutes, they found a steel tiffin box buried beneath the surface.
Officials said that upon careful examination, a command-initiated IED weighing about 10 kg was found in the container, which was packed with explosives and linked to an electric detonator circuit designed to be triggered remotely.
Bijapur BDS team was dispatched to the spot and taking utmost care, the deadly device was successfully defused and destroyed through a controlled explosion at the site itself.
No casualties or damage to property were reported during the neutralization process. Police officials described the recovery as “timely and significant”, adding that the IEDs were strategically placed to target convoys of security forces or civilian vehicles moving on the newly-developed road connecting remote villages.
Its destruction has thwarted a potentially devastating Maoist attack and ensured safe passage for local people who depend on the route for daily commute, supply of essential commodities and access to markets and health care.
Senior officials of Bijapur District Police praised the alertness of the patrol team, emphasizing that the intense anti-Maoist operations, road construction and area dominance exercises under the security grid have severely restricted the movement and operational space of CPI (Maoist) cadres in the area.
Bastar region has seen a decline in Maoist violence over the past year due to sustained counter-insurgency efforts, such proactive recognition underlines the commitment of Chhattisgarh Police and Central forces to restore full normalcy and development in one of India’s most challenging internal security theatres.
–IANS
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