2 CoBRA jawans killed in IED attack in Chhattisgarh's Sukma
The incident took place around 3pm when the personnel were on road opening party (ROP) duty and were advancing from Silger camp towards Teklagudam.
Two jawans of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)’s elite guerrilla unit Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) were killed by Maoists in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Sukma district on Sunday, Bastar police said.
Two CoBRA jawans killed in IED blast in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma: Police
The incident took place around 3pm when the personnel were on road opening party (ROP) duty and were advancing from Silger camp towards Teklagudam under the Jagadonga police station area.
“The Maoists planted an IED targeting the security forces at Teklagudam road from Silger. The personnel of 201 CoBRA battalion were moving on a motorcycle and a truck when the blast took place. A jawan who was driving the truck and another jawan (the assistant driver) were killed in the blast,” a statement issued by the police said.
The names of the deceased jawans were Visnhu R (35), who was a resident of Kerala, and Shailendra Kumar (29), a resident of Uttar Pradesh, a senior official said. Another senior police official said that the IED blast caused a crater about six metres deep on the road.
“It was a command-initiated IED that was triggered by the Maoists from around 150 metres away. The two companies of CoBRA were on ROP when ration was being transported by the security forces to the Teklagudam camp. Near Timmapur village, the Maoists planted the IED and triggered it, due to which the truck blew away. The driver and the assistant driver — both CoBRA jawans — died in the incident ,” said Kiran Chavan, superintendent of police, Sukma.
Inspector general of police, Bastar range, Sunderaj P also said that most probably the command IED was operated by a couple of Maoist cadres hiding in the forest nearby.
“Only one driver and another jawan were there in the vehicle, which was carrying store materials for the camp. The remaining jawans were on foot patrol,” said the IG.
According to records available with the Chhattisgarh police, a total of 12 security personnel have been killed by Maoists in 2024 till now. On the other hand, 131 Maoists have been killed so far this year in separate encounters with security forces in the state.
Chhattisgarh: Two women injured in IED blast in Sukma
Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai in a statement on X said, “There is sad news of the death of two CoBRA jawans in an IED blast carried out by Maoists in Tekalgudem of Sukma district. I pray to God for peace of the souls and to give strength to their families. Maoists are frustrated with the ongoing anti-Naxal operations in Bastar, hence they are doing such cowardly acts. The martyrdom of the jawans will not go in vain and we will not sit quiet until Maoism is eradicated from the state.”
