Jharkhand: An IED wham occurred during an anti-Naxal operation in the Baliba zone of the Saranda forest (West Singhbhum district, Jharkhand). In this blast, a trained swan (sniffer dog) of CRPF was martyred, and his handler, Jawan, was seriously injured. Security forces have intensified search operations in the unshortened zone without the incident to unearth whether other bombs have been planted.
Why did the incident happen?
This wade is believed to be part of the strategy of IED (Improvised Explosive Device) bombs installed in the zone by Naxalites. The Saranda region has seen an increase in incidents of IED blasts in the last months. Officials are linking it to operations in which security forces are delivering out patrolling and searches, and there remains a possibility of Naxalites planting bombs.
What are the challenges of the security forces?
Due to the difficult geographical condition of the area—forests and hilly areas—Naxalites find it easier to hide. Diversity and shading of IED bombs: many bombs were found once planted in the ground. Naxalites remain active—they have recently taken part in other attacks besides flop blasts.
What does this incident mean?
This incident highlights some important points:
- How risky is the work of security forces in Naxal-affected areas?
- Tactics of Naxalites—They are trying to influence the security forces through IED and surprise attacks.
- Despite the increased scale of the operation, fundamental challenges remain—searches, intelligence gathering, and security in the zone need to be improved.
What's happening next?
Security forces have intensified search operations—the unshortened zone has been cordoned off, spare teams have been deployed. In view of the possibility of other bombs, the Flop Disposal Squad has been kept active. The state administration, police, and inside forces together are delivering out continuous operations to weaken the Naxal network—14IED bombs have moreover been defused in the last few months.
