Two jawans injured in IED blast in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur

Bijapur (Chhattisgarh) [India], January 16 (ANI): Two jawans were injured in a pressure IED blast planted by Naxalites near Putkel village under the Basaguda police station area here on Thursday morning, according to Bijapur Police.
The injured jawans have been evacuated. Their condition is stable and they are out of danger, the police added. More information is awaited.
The blast comes amid the security forces intensifying anti-Naxal operations in Bijapur.
On January 12, five Naxalites including two women were killed in an encounter with security forces in Bijapur.
Several automatic and other weapons and explosives were recovered from the forests under the National Park area of the Bijapur district.
The recovered weapons included one SLR rifle, one 12-bore rifle, two single-shot rifles, one BGL launcher, and one locally made Bharmar gun, along with explosives, Maoist literature, and other Naxal materials.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai saluted the courage of the security forces after the encounter.
Speaking to ANI, Sai had said "We salute the courage of our security forces. Our security forces have been fighting strongly against Naxalism for the last year and have also been succeeding which has been praised by everyone. Our Prime Minister is working on ending Naxalism by 2026 and his mission will definitely be achieved."
On January 11, a CRPF jawan was injured as an IED laid down by the Naxalites exploded in Bijapur.
This happened after a team of CRPF from 196 Battalion Mahadev Ghat left for the forest to carry out area domination in the morning.
Earlier, the bodies of three Naxals and several weapons had been recovered from the encounter that took place in the Sukma-Bijapur border in Chhattisgarh, an official said. (ANI)