Two CRPF CoBRA Personnel Injured in Maoist IED Blast in Jharkhand’s Chaibasa, Airlifted to Ranchi

Ranchi – Two jawans from the elite CoBRA unit of the CRPF sustained critical injuries on Friday afternoon when Maoists triggered an IED blast in the Digha area of West Singhbhum district, Jharkhand, during a routine combing operation.

The blast occurred in the dense forest zone, known to be a Maoist stronghold. Both injured personnel were promptly evacuated and airlifted to Ranchi for emergency treatment.

Chaibasa SP Rakesh Ranjan confirmed that security operations have been intensified in the Saranda and Kolhan forest regions to track down Maoist operatives still active in the area.

Police said Maoists often plant IEDs along forest trails and patrol routes to ambush forces, using motion-triggered devices that cause fatal injuries.

The incident follows a pattern of recurring Maoist attacks. Just two days earlier, a railway trackman was killed in a similar blast on the Karampada-Rengda railway line. In June, CRPF jawan Satyawan Kumar Singh was martyred in a blast in the Saranda forest.

In March, three separate IED explosions claimed the life of a sub-inspector and injured several other personnel.

Officials believe several top Maoist commanders, including Misir Besra, Anmol, Ajay Mahato, and others, are still operating in the region. In the last three months, over a dozen Maoist weapon caches have been uncovered and neutralized in Chaibasa, resulting in the seizure of large amounts of arms and explosives.

With inputs from IANS