Two Special Task Force (STF) personnel were martyred and four others sustained injuries when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Naxalites detonated in Bijapur district.

The blast occurred near Tarrem as the personnel were returning from an anti-Naxal operation on Wednesday evening.

The security forces launched the operation based on intelligence that a significant number of Naxalites from their Military Company No. 2, Western Bastar Division, and Darbha Division were present near the borders of Bijapur, Sukma, and Dantewada districts in southern Chhattisgarh.

Acting on this information, a joint team comprising STF, District Reserve Guard (DRG), Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was dispatched from the three districts on July 16.

The martyred STF personnel have been identified as Constables Bharat Sahu from Raipur and Satyer Singh Kange from Narayanpur. The injured personnel include Purushottam Nag, Komal Yadav, Siyaram Sori, and Sanjay Kumar, who have been referred to Jagdalpur Medical College. They will subsequently be airlifted to Raipur for further treatment.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed his condolences on social media platform X.
“The tragic news of the martyrdom of two STF personnel and injuries to four others in an IED blast by Maoists in Bijapur’s Tarrem area has been received. I pray for the peace of the departed souls and the speedy recovery of the injured. Our government’s anti-Maoist campaign is causing unrest among the Naxalites, leading them to commit such cowardly acts. The sacrifice of our brave personnel will not go in vain. Our fight against naxals will continue until its complete eradication,” he stated.

Earlier on Wednesday, the security forces had neutralised 12 Naxalites in an encounter on the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border in Gadchiroli. The encounter, which lasted for about six hours, also saw the recovery of bodies and weapons from the site. Two security personnel, including Sub-Inspector Satish Patil of Maharashtra’s C-60 force, were injured.