26 personnel injured, victims airlifted to Ranchi
Mail News Service
Jamshedpur/Seraikela, May 29 : Close on the heels of a serial IED blasts triggered aiming at Special Assault Force (SAF) by CPI-Maoist rebels at Kharsawan on May 20, the ultras once again targetted para-military forces atop a hill in Kuchai jungle in adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district on Tuesday morning.
The rebels triggered a single IED on a ‘kutcha’ road at Kuchai jungle targetting a joint team of CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action), Jharkhand Jaguar and district police at about 4.45 am while it was carrying out an anti-insurgency operation in the rebel-infested pockets at the jungle.
In the incident, a total of 26 personnel were injured, eight of them belonging to the CoBRA’s 209 battalion, two from the Jharkhand Jaguar and one jawan from the district police. Soon after the IED blast, a chopper was pressed into the rescue of the victims and air-lifted to Ranchi.
The injured were admitted at the MedicaSuperspecialty Hospital where condition of three of the injured was initially said to be serious. But later all their condition had improved considerably and they are absolutely out of danger now.
Seraikela-Kharsawan superintendent of police, Chandan Sinha said that they are confident that it was same CPI-Maoist squad of MahrajPramanik that had triggered serial blast, causing injuries to three jawans on May 20 morning.
” As per our investigation the spot where the IED was blasted today is about six kms away from the serial blast triggered at Kharsawan on May 20 morning. The rebels had started firing at the paramilitary forces, leading the latter to retaliate intensely like it had happened on May 20 attackalso,” said Sinha.
The SP pointed out a day after the May 20 serial blast at Kharswan, they had started an extensive operation against the rebels at Kharsawan and Kuchai area.
“They were on their regular vigil. The troops were searching around the spots where there were possibility of the rebels’ camp atop the hill and eventually, they were subjected to the IED blast,” said Sinha. He informed the combing operation was on at Kuchai jungle and a clear picture about the rebels’ causulty will be known after the combing operation in the area is over.
Sinha, when queried, said the act of triggering IED blasts in Seraikela-Kharsawan by CPI-Maoist is to make their presence felt in the area.
” The rebels failed to hinder the just concluded Lok Sabha polls, so they resorted to the IED blasts for making their presence felt in the district where they used to have considerable influence earlier. The special operation, involving over 2,000 forces and police which has begun after the Kharsawan serial blast will continue and stop only after the rebels are wiped out from the district,” asserted the SP while talking to this correspondent.
Meanwhile the administration has increased police patrolling on the bordering areas connecting to West Bengal and has also deployed adequate number of paramilitary personnel on areas potential to rebels attack. � Every effort will be made to maintain law and order and to ensure security of the people. This time all security forces have also been alerted to remain vigilant, particularly against IEDs and landmines,” said another official.