CRPF jawan seriously injured in IED blast in Jharkhand’s Saranda forest

Chaibasa (Jharkhand), Dec 14 (IANS) A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan of the elite CoBRA Battalion 209 was seriously injured after an improvised explosive device (IED), allegedly planted by Maoists, exploded during a search operation in the dense Saranda forest of Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district on Sunday, officials said.

The incident occurred near Baliba village under the Chotanagra police station area when a joint team of security forces was carrying out a search and area domination exercise as part of an ongoing anti-Maoist operation.

According to officials, the jawan sustained serious injuries when the pressure-triggered IED went off while the team was combing the forest area.

Immediately after the blast, fellow security personnel secured the spot, ensured the safety of the rest of the team, and provided first aid to the injured jawan.

Given the severity of his condition, arrangements were swiftly made to evacuate him from the remote forest area. The district administration was coordinating efforts to airlift the injured jawan to Ranchi at the earliest so that he could receive advanced medical treatment.

Following the incident, security forces cordoned off the entire area and intensified the search operation, deploying additional personnel.

Officials suspect that Maoists may have planted more IEDs in the region to target security forces.

Security agencies are now conducting a meticulous search of the area with heightened caution, using standard operating procedures to detect and neutralise explosive devices.

Officials said Maoist activities in the region are being closely monitored and strict vigilance is being maintained to prevent any further attacks.

The anti-Maoist operation remains underway, with senior officials closely overseeing the situation.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set March 31, 2026, as a deadline to eradicate Maoism from the entire country.

On Saturday, a government statement said that “Naxal-affected districts slashed from 126 (2014) to only 11 (2025), with most-affected districts down from 36 to just 3, marking the near-collapse of the Red Corridor.”

Maoism in the country was spread across the “Red Corridor,” impacting states such as Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, Kerala, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

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