Bijapur: At least nine people, including eight Dantewada District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawans and one driver, lost their lives after their vehicle was blown up by Naxals through a powerful explosive device (IED) blast in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur on Monday.
Additional Director General of Police (ADG) Vivekananda Sinha gave this information here on Monday and said that nine jawans have been martyred. Naxalites blew up a bridge over Amboli Nalla between Kutru and Bedre in Bijapur district with a powerful explosive device (IED) blast.
According to police sources, the jawans were returning from a joint operation conducted by the Dantewada, Narayanpur, and Bijapur police when the blast occurred.
Meanwhile, nine jawans were killed in a blast while passing by a soldier's vehicle.
The incident comes days after an encounter broke out between the security forces and Naxals in Bastar, in which five ultras were killed.
Four Naxalites were found dead initially on Sunday, while one more body was recovered later. A DRG head constable was also killed in the gunfight.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has publicly stated his target of exterminating Naxalites from Bastar by 2026, causing shock among the Naxalites.
He said that the unit of the force that was part of this campaign of Shah had left for the operation in Bijapur district.
Naxalites targeted the vehicle by detonating an IED when they were returning from the vehicle sent to bring back the jawans.
