CRPF jawan injured in IED blast in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum

Jamshedpur, May 11: A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan was injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in West Singhbhum on Thursday.

He was injured seriously as the motorcycle he was riding rolled over an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) in a forest stretch under the Goelkera police station area in West Singhbhum district.

Identified as CS Mani, the injured jawan is a constable posted at the CRPF’s 160 battalion and has been air-lifted to a Hospital from Chakradharpur a little while after the explosion took place. The IED was triggered at Ichahatu village in the Kolhan forest division.

The security forces have launched a search operation in the area to apprehend the culprits behind the blast. The IED blast has become a regular in a series of attacks on security forces in the region. The security forces have been on high alert following reports of increased Maoists activity in the area.

The CRPF officials have condemned the incident and stated that such cowardly acts will not deter them from their duty to protect the nation. They have assured that all necessary steps will be taken to bring the culprits to justice.

The incident has once again highlighted the challenges faced by the security forces in maintaining law and order in the region. The CRPF jawans have been at the forefront of the fight against Maoists in the region and have faced numerous challenges in their line of duty.

As a result of the explosion, both Mani and his colleague were thrown apart along with the motorcycle, causing the former to sustain grievous injuries.

According to police, soon both the jawans were taken to Chakradharpur railway hospital where they were administered first-aid. But as Mani was seriously injured, he was shifted to a Ranchi-based hospital by pressing a helicopter service.

It may be mentioned here that a large number of Naxals, including several senior ones have sneaked into the Kolhan and Porahat forest divisions in West Singhbhum district since January this year.

According to reports, about 18 paramilitary jawans were injured after falling victim to the IEDs as the police have begun a concerted operation to flush the Naxals out from those two forest divisions since January 11. Significantly, about half-a-dozen villagers have been killed due to the IED blast so far.

Naxal insurgents have reportedly anchored themselves deeper into the dense forests of a region in India, planting Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at strategic points to deter security forces from pursuing them. The region in question has been known to have a strong Naxal presence, and the security forces have been carrying out regular anti-insurgency operations in the area.

The security forces have been taking various measures to tackle the Naxal insurgency in the region, including the deployment of specialized units and the use of advanced technology for intelligence gathering. However, the Naxals have been able to adapt to these measures and have intensified their operations in recent times.