Eight DRG Jawans and Driver Killed in Devastating Naxal IED Attack in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh.
Bijapur, Chhattisgarh:
In a deadly assault, Naxals blew up a vehicle carrying eight District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawans and their civilian driver in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Monday afternoon. The attack, which occurred at around 2:15 pm near Ambeli village in the Kutru police station area, involved a 60-70 kg Improvised Explosive Device (IED), the biggest strike on security forces in the state in two years.
The DRG personnel, part of an anti-insurgency operation in the Bastar region, were returning to their base in Dantewada after a three-day mission that had led to the deaths of five Naxals. The explosive device, suspected to have been planted long ago, detonated as the vehicle was traveling on a remote road about 70 km from Bijapur. The force of the explosion completely destroyed the vehicle, leaving a large crater in the concrete road and scattered wreckage.
According to police, the IED’s wires were buried deep in the ground, indicating that it had been in place for some time. Investigators also recovered a 150-meter-long wire connected to the device’s trigger. While forensic teams are examining the blast site for further details, officials suspect that lapses in security may have contributed to the incident.
The attack claimed the lives of eight DRG jawans and their civilian driver, with their bodies recovered at the scene. The DRG, a unit made up of local tribal recruits and former Naxals, had been involved in joint operations aimed at weakening the Naxal insurgency.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chhattisgarh Governor Ramen Deka, and Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed their condolences. Shah vowed that the sacrifices of the soldiers would not be in vain, promising to eradicate Naxalism from India by March 2026. Governor Deka condemned the attack as a “heinous crime,” while Chief Minister Sai labeled it a cowardly act in response to ongoing counter-insurgency efforts.
Security forces have launched a hunt to apprehend those responsible for the brutal attack.
