In West Singhbhum district’s Jaraikela police station area, an IED explosion occurred on Friday morning during an anti-Naxal operation in the dense Saranda forest near Hende Kui. Two personnel from CoBRA 209 Battalion—Raghubir Singh and Chhotu Kacchap—were critically injured in the blast. Both were airlifted to Ranchi for advanced medical treatment.
The incident took place around 11 a.m. while security forces were conducting a search operation against Naxalites. During the operation, the personnel stepped on an IED planted by the Naxals, triggering a powerful explosion. Authorities noted that similar IED traps have previously injured several security personnel in the Saranda region.
ASP Rokas Ranjan confirmed the incident, adding that during the same operation, police destroyed three Naxal bunkers in the Hende Kui area. A large cache of materials was recovered, including wires, batteries, cartridges, colored and black powder packets, shoes, bags, steel containers, polythene sheets, and other items.
The joint operation by police and CoBRA forces is part of an ongoing strategy to maintain constant pressure on Naxals in the area and restore peace in the region.
