Two cops injured in Maoist landmine blast in Bastar

Raipur: Two police jawans were injured in a landmine blast triggered by Naxals in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district on Wednesday, as the rebels struck on the first day of the Peoples’ Liberation Guerrilla Army week being observed by CPI (Maoist).

The explosion occurred in the morning when a joint team of Border Security Force (BSF) and district police force was out on an operation under Koyalibeda police station limits, Kanker Superintendent of Police Jitendra Singh Meena said.

When the security forces were cordoning off a forested patch near Markanar village, located about 300 km from here, in north Bastar, the Naxals triggered the blast in which two jawans were injured, Mr. Meena said.

sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“Assistant Constable Baijuram Potai and constable Santram Netam, belonging to district police, sustained injuries in the incident,” the SP said. Reinforcement was soon rushed to the spot and the injured policemen were being airlifted to Raipur for treatment, he said.

Security has been heightened across the insurgency-hit areas of Chhattisgarh, as the Maoists are observing the PLGA week from December 2 to 8 to commemorate their slain leaders.

The naxalites hold meetings and gatherings during this period to spread their propaganda, recruit new members, review military operations besides carrying out attacks on security forces.