Tribal boy injured in Maoist-planted IED blast in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur: Police

The incident occurred in the interior village of Peedia near Gangloor on Thursday evening when the boy came in contact with the explosive device buried by Maoists

A minor boy from the tribal community was critically injured after accidentally stepping on a pressure improvised explosive device (IED) allegedly planted by Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, police said on Friday.

Following the explosion, the injured boy was immediately given first aid by CRPF personnel. (Representative file photo)

The incident occurred in the interior village of Peedia near Gangloor on Thursday evening when the boy came in contact with the explosive device buried by Maoists, officials said.

According to a police statement , the blast reflects the “inhuman nature” of Naxal violence, where innocent villagers are repeatedly targeted. Over the past few months, several civilians in the district’s interior areas have been injured or killed in similar IED explosions planted by Maoists, the statement said.

Following the explosion, the injured boy was immediately given first aid by personnel from the 199th and 85th battalions of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and later shifted to the district hospital for advanced treatment. His condition is stated to be serious, police added.

Security forces have launched a search operation in the surrounding forested areas to ensure the safety of residents and trace those involved in planting the explosive, officials said.