Youth killed in IED blast at West Singhbhum

Jamshedpur, Feb 22: Unleashing terror again, Maoists triggered an IED blast killing a 23-year-old youth in the Naxal-infested Kolhan forest division under the Goelkera police station area in West Singhbhum district.

The victim was identified as Harish Chandra Gope and was a resident of Meralgeda village in Goelkera. He had gone to the jungle near his village to collect firewood when the blast took place.

Soon after the incident, the villagers panicked because of an unknown danger but could not make out the reason behind it. It was after the paramilitary forces belonging to CoBRA and CRPF had entered the explosion spot to find the mutilated body of the youth.

The ultras also blocked the Kuida-Soytaba road by felling a tree near Arahasa village. On the felled tree was a Naxal banner, and beside it were lying some wire and boxes with a rumour going around that there was an IED planted nearby.

According to police, the paramilitary forces when they got the spot scanned having cleared the blockade with the help of a bomb-disposal squad, they found nothing as such.

According to police, on either side of Arahasa village are located two CRPF camps at Kuida and Soytaba. The rebels had some sinister plan to carry out by blocking the road at Arahasa.

West Singhbhum SP, Ashutosh Shekhar has in a press note condemned the cowardly act of the Naxals. “The rebels belonging to CPI-Maoist outfit are killing innocent villagers having planted IEDs meant to blow up paramilitary forces. Such nefarious and destructive design by the coward Naxals has to be combated conclusively, ” the SP has said.

According to police, Naxals belonging to the outlawed outfit CPI-Maoist have planted IEDs in the jungles under Tonto and Goelkera police station areas to prevent any anti-insurgency operation by the police and paramilitary forces. According to the senior police officer, a large number of rebels have held themselves up in numerous hills.  He revealed that as there is overgrowth of shrubs and branches of trees everywhere due to the rains in the past, searching through these areas becomes more and more challenging.

Manoharpur block, an area considered to be one of the rebel hotbeds in the state.   The combing and search operation in the vicinity of Tirulposi is still on  with the jawans of CRPF, CoBRA, Jharkhand Jaguar and district police participating in it vigorously.