Chhattisgarh Maoist attack: An IED blast ripped through a bus in Dantewada.
Highlights
- Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh just days before first phase of state polls
- IED blast targets CISF unit posted there for the elections
- PM Modi expected to hold a rally about 100 km away tomorrow
At least five people, including a security personnel, were killed after Maoists triggered an explosion in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district today, just four days before the insurgency-hit area is expected to vote for state elections.
A soldier of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and four civilians were killed when an improvised explosive device tore through a bus. Two others were injured. The civilians killed included the driver, conductor and cleaner of the bus, a police officer told news agency PTI.
The incident comes just a day before Prime Minister Narendra is expected to visit Jagdalpur, about a 100 km away, for an election rally.
The explosion took place in a hilly area in Bacheli area of Dantewada, about 450 km from state capital Raipur, when the security personnel were returning to their camp after purchasing groceries from a market, he said.
The private bus, which was targeted, was allotted to the CISF team deployed in the Bailadila mining area of the National Mining Development Corporation in Dantewada for election duty, a police officer said.
Security forces have launched a combing operation in the area to find the Maoists.
Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Chhattisgarh next week in two phases on November 12 and November 20.
The first phase is to be held in the Maoist-affected constituencies of Bastar region that falls in the southern part of the central Indian state.
Just eight days ago, two Chhattisgarh police personnel and a Doordarshan cameraperson were killed in a Maoist attack in Aranpur village of Dantewada district.
Before that, on October 27, four Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed and two others injured after Maoists blew up their bulletproof bunker vehicle in Bijapur district.
(With inputs from PTI)