Three DRG personnel killed in IED blast during demining operation in Chhattisgarh

Three personnel of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) were killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast during a demining operation in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district on Saturday, police said.

The incident occurred in a forested area under the Chhote Bethiya police station limits, near the border with Narayanpur district, where security forces had launched a joint operation involving demining, area domination and search activities.

According to officials, a DRG unit was engaged in locating and defusing IEDs believed to have been planted earlier by Maoists when one of the devices exploded unexpectedly. Four personnel were caught in the blast.

Inspector Sukhram Vatti, Constable Krishna Komra and Constable Sanjay Gadhpale succumbed to their injuries at the site. A fourth jawan, Constable Parmanand Komra, sustained injuries and is currently undergoing treatment.

Sundarraj Pattilingam said that security forces in the Bastar region have, in recent months, recovered and neutralised hundreds of IEDs based on intelligence inputs and information from surrendered Maoist cadres.

“During the operation today, while attempting to defuse an explosive device, it detonated, resulting in the loss of three personnel and leaving another critically injured,” he said.

The DRG is a specialised unit formed to conduct anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh, particularly in the Bastar region.

Officials noted that the incident comes weeks after the state administration declared the region free of organised armed Maoist activity on March 31, making this the first such blast reported since then.

With IANS inputs