A CRPF Head Constable has been martyred in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast that ripped through the Saranda forest in West Singhbhum district on Friday. The fallen soldier, Mahendra Lashkar of the 60th CRPF Battalion, was critically wounded and tragically died while undergoing medical treatment on Friday night. Hailing from Assam, his death has deeply saddened his colleagues.
The IED explosion also resulted in injuries to Inspector Kaushal Kumar Mishra and ASI Ramkrishna Gagrai. Both are receiving specialized medical attention at Apollo Hospital in Rourkela and are reportedly out of critical danger. It is noteworthy that ASI Gagrai is the brother of local MLA Dashrath Gagrai. The CRPF leadership has pledged to ensure the best medical care for the injured and stated that Head Constable Lashkar’s sacrifice will not be forgotten. Following the incident, security forces have intensified their operations to track down and apprehend the Maoist group responsible for planting the IED. The search is ongoing in the affected region.
The blast occurred late Friday afternoon, approximately at 4 PM, while security forces were engaged in a counter-insurgency patrol. Intelligence suggests the IED was strategically placed by Maoist elements. The area experienced brief skirmishes after the explosion. This incident is a stark reminder of the persistent threat from explosives in the Saranda region, which has seen a spate of similar attacks recently. Previously, two CRPF Cobra commandos were wounded in August, a sub-inspector died in March, and a Jharkhand Jaguar jawan lost his life in an IED blast in April.