4 jawans killed in Chhattisgarh while demining old IEDs planted by Naxals
The explosion occurred in a forest area adjoining Narayanpur district, where a team of the police team was conducting a demining operation to locate and defuse IEDs planted by Naxalites in the past, an official said.
Four jawans of the Chhattisgarh Police's District Reserve Guard (DRG) succumbed to their injuries after an improvised explosive device (IED), planted by Naxalites in the past, went off during a demining operation in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district on Saturday.
The explosion occurred in a forest area adjoining Narayanpur district, where a team of the police team was conducting a demining operation to locate and defuse IEDs planted by Naxalites in the past, an official said.
Four personnel initially sustained injuries after coming in contact with the explosive device. Three of them – Inspector Sukhram Vatti, Constable Krishna Komra, and Constable Sanjay Gadhpale – succumbed to their severe injuries at the scene of the incident.
The fourth personnel, Constable Parmanand Korram, was airlifted to Raipur but died while undergoing medical treatement.
This was the first blast incident linked to Naxalite activity since the state was declared free from Naxal violence on March 31.
INDIA DECLARED FREE OF NAXAL VIOLENCE
After India was declared free of "Left Wing Extremism" (Naxalism), the Centre has reorganised affected regions into new monitoring categories.
According to official communication sent to nine states on April 8, no district in the country is currently classified as Naxal-affected, following sustained counter-insurgency operations carried out since 2015.
A total of 37 districts have now been classified as “Legacy and Thrust Districts,” indicating that while they are no longer affected by active Naxalite violence, continued focus on security and development remains necessary.
One district — West Singhbhum in Jharkhand — has been placed under the category of “District of Concern,” suggesting that while insurgent networks have weakened, vigilance is still required.
These 38 districts are spread across nine states: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana and West Bengal.
Officials say the new classification reflects a transition from active conflict zones to areas requiring sustained monitoring and development support.