An IED blast was reported from Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Monday afternoon. According to reports, naxals blew up a vehicle carrying security force personnel.
IG Bastar has told new agency ANI, "Nine people - eight Dantewada DRG jawans and one driver, lost their lives after their vehicle was blown up by naxals through an IED blast, in Bijapur. They were returning after a joint operation of Dantewada, Narayanpur and Bijapur."
According to NDTV reports, jawans were traveling in a Scorpio SUV and the incident took place around 2.15 pm.
The visuals from the blast site have surfaced online, revealing a massive crater created by the explosion. Another image shows a vehicle overturned, lying at a distance from the explosion site.
The Kutru area has been a hotspot for Left-Wing Extremism, and the attack comes just days after a deadly encounter in Abujhmad.
Notably, security forces killed five rebels, including two women, this morning in an encounter in the Abujhmad region, according to reports.
Automatic weapons and self-loading rifles were recovered during the operation. Reports suggest that the jawans were returning from the same operation when they were targeted.
Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao responded to the incident saying, "It is a very unfortunate incident. I pay my tribute to all the soldiers. This is a cowardly act by the Naxals. The sacrifice of our soldiers will not go in vain."
