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Chhattisgarh police personnel killed in IED blast during demining operation in Kanker
On Saturday, four District Reserve Guard personnel were killed in an accidental Improvised Explosive Device blast during a demining operation in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district near the Kanker-Narayanpur boundary.
Personnel from the Chhotebethiya Police Station launched the operation to demine IEDs and secure the area, a former Maoist stronghold near Abujhmad, where the device detonated during neutralization efforts.
Bastar Range Inspector General Sundarraj described the incident as a "tragic accident," while noting that security forces have successfully recovered hundreds of IEDs in recent months from surrendered Maoist cadres.
This marks the first security personnel fatality following the Union Home Ministry's March 31 deadline to end Left-wing extremism, as Union Home Minister Amit Shah mandated a massive push against threats since 2024.
Between 2024 and 2026, over 500 Maoists were killed, while 42 security personnel and 119 civilians died in Maoist-related violence, figures reflecting the ongoing intensity of the conflict against Naxal threats.