Bijapur: Naxal attack thwarted, 21 IEDs found; red camp destroyed

Security forces on Saturday recovered 21 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by Naxalites along an under-construction road in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police said.

The IEDs with pressure mechanisms were planted between Palnar and Saavnar villages where road construction is underway, a police official said.

A joint team of District Reserve Guard, Bastar Fighters, which are units of the state police, the Central Reserve Police Force's 85th battalion and 222nd battalion, which included bomb disposal squads, the elite CoBRA's 202nd battalion and district police had launched an operation from their newly-set up Palnar camp to trace landmines, he said.

"During the operation, 21 pressure IEDs planted along the under-construction road at separate places were recovered. A major mishap has been averted. The IEDs weigh between 3 to 5 kilograms and were placed beneath the earth near the trees in a bid to harm patrolling security personnel," he added.

In another incident in the district, security forces busted a Maoist transit camp in a forest near Pedda Korma village under Gangaloor police station limits following an encounter with Naxalites, an official said.

"We recovered explosives and other materials. The face-off took place at around 8 am when a joint team of DRG, Bastar Fighters, CRPF and its elite unit CoBRA were out on an operation acting on an inputs about presence of leaders belonging to the Naxalites' Gangaloor area committee," he said.

After the exchange of fire stopped, a cache of explosives, medicines, Maoist literature, uniforms and items of daily use were recovered from the hideout, the official informed.