Three IEDs planted by Naxalites neutralised in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur

Bijapur: Three improvised explosive devices (IEDS) planted by Naxalites were detected and neutralised by security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Friday, police said.

Two of the IEDs were planted beneath a blacktop road using the foxhole mechanism, which involves digging a tunnel from the side of the road to place the explosives, an official said.

Naxalites had used a similar mechanism to plant explosives in the Dantewada blast in April this year, in which 10 security personnel and a civilian driver were killed, police said.

The two IEDs, weighing 25 kg each, were detected on Awapalli-Basaguda Road, where a joint team of the 168th battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) from Awapalli police station was out on a de-mining operation to trace landmines planted by Naxalites to target security forces, the official said.

The explosives kept in plastic bags were placed 4 feet below the road by digging a tunnel 5 feet in height and 5 feet in width from the side of the road, he said.

The explosives were connected to a command switch with a long wire, the official added.

The BDS neutralised the bombs, and a major tragedy was averted, he said.

Earlier in May, Naxalites had planted two IEDs, weighing 25 kg each, on the same road.

The official said a pressure IED, weighing 5 kg, was also recovered between Dharmaram village and Chintavagu river by personnel belonging to the CRPF's 151st battalion and CoBRA's 204th (an elite unit of CRPF).

Earlier in the day, two workers were killed and another sustained injuries after a pressure IED planted by Naxalites went off at an iron ore mine site in the neighbouring Narayanpur district, police said.

On April 26, 10 personnel of the police's District Reserve Guard (DRG) and a civilian driver were killed after Naxalites blew up a MUV, which was part of the convoy carrying security personnel in Aranpur police station area of neighbouring Dantewada district.

Police had said the IED, weighing around 40-50 kg, was planted using the foxhole mechanism by a digging tunnel from the side of the road.