Chandigarh: 2 BSF jawans injured in IED blast triggered by naxals

Two Border Security Force (BSF) jawans were injured on Friday when an improvised explosive device (IED), suspected to have been laid by naxals, went off in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh, police said.

The blast occurred in the forest of Koyalibeda police station area, when a team of BSF's 35th battalion was out on an 'area domination' operation, Kanker Superintendent of Police K L Dhruv told PTI over phone.

Two BSF personnel sustained minor injuries in the explosion, he said.

Soon after being alerted, reinforcement was rushed to the spot and the injured were shifted to a local hospital, he said adding that a search operation was still underway in the region.

Three days ago on October 30, three police personnel and a cameraman of national broadcaster Doordarshan were killed in a Maoist attack in Aranpur area of Dantewada district.

Three days before that incident, four CRPF personnel belonging to 168th battalion were killed and two others injured after Maoists blew up their bullet-proof bunker vehicle in Awapalli area of Bijapur district.

The naxals have called upon voters to boycott the this month's Assembly polls in the state.

The first phase of polls covering 18 constituencies in eight naxal-affected districts Bastar, Kanker Sukma, Bijapur, Dantewada, Narayanpur, Kondagaon and Rajnandgaon will be held on November 12, while the remaining 72 constituencies will witness polling on November 20.