CRPF officer killed in Naxal IED blast on Jharkhand-Odisha border

Jamshedpur: Amidst ongoing intensified anti-Naxal operations, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer was killed on Saturday following an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast triggered by Naxalites in the dense forests located along the Jharkhand-Odisha border.

According to official sources, the incident took place during a coordinated combing operation jointly carried out by CRPF, Odisha Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG), and Jharkhand Police. The objective of the operation was to track and dismantle Naxal hideouts and to disrupt their logistics and movement in the forest and hilly regions near K. Bolang Police Station area in Rourkela district of Odisha.

During the course of the operation, the security personnel encountered a pressure-triggered IED blast laid by the Naxals with the intent to inflict casualties on the advancing forces. In the explosion, Sub-Inspector (General Duty) Satyawan Kumar Singh, a valiant jawan of the CRPF’s 134 Battalion, suffered critical injuries.

He was swiftly rescued by fellow personnel and evacuated under tight security to Rourkela Hospital, where he succumbed to injuries.

The blast took place around 6am at a locality under the K Balang police station in Saranda forest, close to Odisha-Jharkhand border. ASI Singh hailed from Kushinagar district in Uttar Pradesh. Authorities said the operation in the area is ongoing, with security forces continuing efforts to neutralise Maoist activity in the region

Senior CRPF official said, “The courage displayed by SI Satyawan Kumar Singh and his team is exemplary. Despite facing life-threatening situations, our forces continue to execute their duties with utmost dedication. This cowardly attack will not deter our resolve to uproot Naxalism from the region.”

The operation was part of a broader anti-Naxal initiative launched jointly by the security forces of Jharkhand, Odisha, and central paramilitary units. The K. Bolang region, with its dense forest cover and rugged terrain, has long served as a strategic corridor for Naxalites to move between safe zones in the two states.

Intelligence inputs received over the past few weeks had indicated increased Naxal movement and possible attempts to regroup in these areas. Acting on this, the joint team launched a search and area domination drive, which led to Saturday’s encounter.

The forested terrain, coupled with the threat of hidden IEDs and booby traps, continues to pose a significant challenge to forces conducting counter-insurgency operations.

Security officials have confirmed that combing operations will continue in the affected area over the next several days. Additional reinforcements have been deployed, and the use of drone surveillance, mine-protected vehicles, and sniffer dogs has been intensified to detect further explosive devices and track down the perpetrators.