india

Updated: May 28, 2019 12:09 IST

Suspected Maoists injured 11 security personnel of CRPF’s elite CoBRA unit and Jharkhand police in an IED blast early on Tuesday in Saraikela-Kharsawan district of the state, officials said.

According to officials said the Maoist ambushed the patrolling party by planting several improvised explosive devices under a culvert near a hilly in Rai Sindri hills under Kuchai police station of the district. A vehicle used by the patrolling party was blown to pieces due to the impact of the explosion, they said.

Eight soldiers of the elite 209 Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) and three policemen were airlifted to the state capital of Ranchi and have been admitted to a private hospital.

Central Police Reserve Force’s inspector general Sanjay A Lathkar confirmed the incident and said that the condition of two of its personnel was critical.

CRPF officials said that search and rescue operations were being conducted in the area.

Police records show squads led by CPI(Maoist) politburo member Prashant Da and central committee member Misir Besra are active in Saranda area, while cadres led by West Bengal’s state secretary Asim Mondal alias Akash operate in Jamshedpur and Ghatshila areas. Other top Maoists operating in Saraikela-Kharsawan and Chaibasa areas are Maharaj Pramanik, Jeevan Kundluna and Amit Munda.

Maoists had damaged two under construction buildings of the forest department in Kuida village in Goelkera forest range of West Singhbhum district ahead of Lok Sabha elections in the state.