Eight jawans and a driver have died in the Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district
Eight jawans and a driver were killed in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district when Maoists used an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) to blow up their vehicle. The nine were returning from an operation when the IED blew up the Scorpio SUV at Kutru in the Bastar region around 2.15 pm.
Earlier today, security forces attacked Maoists in the Abujhmad region of Chhattisgarh and killed five rebels, including two women. Automatic weapons such as AK 47 and Self-Loading Rifles have been recovered. It was this operation that the jawans were returning from when the rebels targeted them.
The eight security personnel belonged to the District Reserve Guard, a specialised police unit set up to tackle Maoism in the state. Visuals showed a massive crater at the spot, suggesting the intensity of the IED blast that killed the jawans.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that the sacrifice of the eight jawans will not go in vain. "I am deeply saddened by the news of the loss of DRG soldiers in an IED blast in Bijapur (Chhattisgarh). I express my deepest condolences to the families of the brave soldiers," Mr Shah said.
He also reiterated his vow to eliminate Maoists from the country by March 2026. "It is impossible to express this grief in words, but I assure you that the sacrifice of our soldiers will not go in vain. We will end Maoism in India by March 2026," he said in a post on 'X' in Hindi.
The Maoist attack comes against the backdrop of security forces making deep inroads into the Maoist-dominated areas of Chhattisgarh and cornering the rebels.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai condemned the blast and described it as a "heinous" and "tragic" incident. "This incident is extremely unfortunate. I pay tribute to the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives and express my heartfelt condolences to their families. A thorough investigation and assessment of this attack are underway. I assure you that the sacrifices of our soldiers will not go in vain. The government is fully committed to eradicating Naxalism," he said.
The Chief Minister added that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has resolved to eliminate Maoism from the country by March 2026. "I am confident that by then, even the five Naxal-affected districts of Bastar will be free from Naxalism, and peace will be restored," the Chief Minister said.
Inspector General of Police, Bastar, Sundarraj Pattilingam said the IED blast targeted the jawans when they were returning to the camp after the operation. "For the past two-three days, we were carrying out operations in the area. Five Maoists and a security personnel were killed in this operation. Security personnel were returning to the base camp after the operation when one vehicle was blown up in an IED blast. We will share detailed information after examining the blast site," the senior officer said.
According to sources, the explosion was so powerful that a part of the Scorpio's bonnet was left hanging on a nearby tree. The blast site suggests that the Maoists used a foxhole technique for the explosion, the sources said. In this technique, Maoists dig holes and fill them up with stones. These holes are not detected during anti-mine operations. When Maoists intend to execute a blast, they place explosives in these holes and trigger an explosion.
Sources also said DRG personnel usually travel on foot or bikes, raising concerns about whether there was a violation of the Standard Operating Procedure in this case.
