At least 27 IEDs, suspected to have been planted by Maoists to target polling staff and security forces during the Lok Sabha polls, were recovered in Imamganj police station of Gaya area on Friday evening. The forces also recovered more than 50 pipes and can-bombs during the search operations.
Police suspect that more than 100 IEDs were planted between Pakdi Guria and Kothilwa villages in Lutwa forest tracts of the district. Security forces are conducting de-mining operations in several areas of Imamganj ahead of voting on April 10 to ensure violence-free polling.
Gaya city superintendent of police (SP) Chandan Kushwaha was camping in Sherghati since the last five days to ensure fool-proof security in view of chief minister Nitish Kumar's election rally on Saturday. But with today's development, he has been asked to rush to Imamganj to assist security forces.
Senior SP, Nishant Kumar Tiwari, said a team of CoBRA, CRPF and district police were on a search operation when it recovered the explosives placed beneath a 1 km stretch of road leading to Lutwa forest.
He said that the explosives were planted by rebels to ambush polling parties and security personnel during the polls on April 10.
{{/usCountry}}He said that the explosives were planted by rebels to ambush polling parties and security personnel during the polls on April 10.
{{/usCountry}}Tiwari further stated that during search of villages, security forces first noticed some wires lying near the road. They used land mine detectors, which revealed several landmines planted along the next 5km.
He said, "We were getting regular inputs that Maoists have planted landmines under all the kacchi roads in the forested hilly region of Lutwa. We had deployed security forces because to the fact that they are experts in demining landmines. A bomb disposal squad has been rushed to the area from district headquarters to clear the Lutwa area and render it safe.
The area within a radius of 5km of Lutwa is being sanitized to ensure free, fair and impartial polling on April 10, he added.