An improvised explosive device (IED) blast orchestrated by Naxalites on Monday killed at least nine people, including eight police personnel and a driver, in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district. The attack targeted a vehicle carrying security personnel returning from an anti-Naxal operation.
The blast occurred on the Bedre-Kutru Road, leaving the security forces reeling from one of the deadliest attacks in recent times. According to officials, the security personnel had been engaged in an anti-Naxalite mission the previous day when the explosion struck.
#WATCH | Chhattisgarh: Visuals from the spot in Bijapur where an IED blast killed eight Dantewada DRG jawans and a driver.#IED #IEDBlast #Chhattisgarh pic.twitter.com/I8V3ElSziK
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) January 6, 2025
This tragic incident comes just days after a deadly encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, where five Naxalites were killed. The gunfight broke out on Saturday evening in the dense forests of south Abujhmaad, along the Narayanpur-Dantewada district border.
The Bastar operation, which involved a joint team of security personnel, including the Special Task Force (STF) and District Reserve Guard (DRG), spanned multiple districts such as Narayanpur, Dantewada, Jagdalpur, and Kondagaon. While four Naxal bodies were recovered initially on Sunday, another was found later, bringing the total to five. The operation also claimed the life of DRG Head Constable Sannu Karam.
Just days earlier, on Friday, at least three Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in Kandeshar village in Gariaband district of Chhattisgarh. Security forces recovered weapons from the site of the operation, underscoring the ongoing efforts to combat Naxal insurgency in the state.
Following the Bijapur attack, IG Bastar Sundarraj Pattilingam provided an update on the ongoing security operations. He said, “For the past 2-3 days, security forces have been conducting operations in the border areas of Bijapur district, Narayanpur, and Dantewada. So far, five dead bodies have been recovered during these operations… Total 9 people are killed in the blast.”
Chhattisgarh: IG Bastar Sundarraj Pattilingam on the Bijapur IED blast says, “For the past 2-3 days, security forces have been conducting operations in the border areas of Bijapur district, Narayanpur, and Dantewada. So far, 5 dead bodies have been recovered during these… pic.twitter.com/V4f5NQ4Abv
— IANS (@ians_india) January 6, 2025
Chhattisgarh’s Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao condemned the Naxal attack, calling it “a cowardly act.” He confirmed that eight jawans had been martyred in the explosion and added, “The sacrifice of our soldiers won’t go to waste. Our government will fulfill its promise to make Bastar free from Naxalism by March 2026.”
BJP MP Brijmohan Agrawal also expressed his condolences, referring to the attack as “tragic and unfortunate.” He reiterated that the government’s forces would continue their efforts until Naxalism is eradicated from the region.
