Fleeing a crackdown by security forces, Maoists leave behind unexploded IEDs

Chhattisgarh's anti-Maoist campaign has led to the recovery of 155 IEDs in early 2024, surpassing previous years, as extremists flee and plant explosives.

While the aggressive campaign to weed out Maoists from the jungles of Chhattisgarh has helped security forces gain control of Maoist bastions, the development has come at the cost of the extremists planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs) across the region before fleeing.

Security personnel during an anti-Naxal operation. (PTI)

Data accessed by HT showed that in the first three months of the year, forces have recovered 155 IEDs — a figure significantly higher than 38 and 35 in the same period in 2023 and 2024.

“Last year,