Five IEDs planted by Maoists recovered in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur-OxBig News Network

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Five Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), planted by Maoists to target security forces, were recovered in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Monday (April 14, 2025), police said.

The IEDs were detected on a dirt track near Mankeli village by a joint team of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) and local police when it was out on an area domination and demining operation, a police official said.

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While three IEDs, weighing 2 kg each, were packed in beer bottles, two devices, weighing 3 kg to 5 kg each, were packed in steel tiffin boxes, he said.

“Command switch mechanism was used in the IEDs which were placed in a series position at a distance of 3 metres to 5 metres beneath the earth. It was planted to target security forces ,” he said, adding a major tragedy was averted with the recovery.

Maoists often plant IEDs along roads and dirt tracks in forests to target security personnel during patrolling in interior pockets of the Bastar region comprising seven districts, including Bijapur. In the past, civilians have often fallen prey to such traps, police said.

On January 6, Maoists blew up a vehicle with a powerful IED in Bijapur district, killing eight police personnel and their civilian driver.