3 CAF men hurt in IED blast; BSF jawan injured in gun battle

Four security personnel were injured in two separate Naxal-related incidents in Chhattisgarh, police officials said today.
A constable of the Border Security Force (BSF) was injured in a gun battle with Naxals in Kanker district while three jawans of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) were hurt in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast triggered by the ultras in Bijapur district last night, they said.
In Kanker, the skirmish took place this morning in a forest when a joint team of the BSF's 35th battalion and the district force was out on an anti-Maoist operation, Superintendent of Police K L Dhruv told PTI.

When the security men were advancing through the forest between Gome and Gattakal villages, located around 250 kms away from Raipur, a group of ultras fired on them leading to the gun battle, he said.
However, the ultras soon escaped from the spot, he said.
"Constable Virappa KB, belonging to BSF's 35th battalion, sustained injuries in his leg below the knee in the encounter," the SP said.

Reinforcement was rushed to the spot, he said, adding that the constable was airlifted and admitted to a hospital in Raipur.
In another incident in Bijapur, when the CAF men were returning after carrying out an anti-Maoist operation, the IED blast occurred last night in a forest near Ranibodli village, around 450 kms from here.

The ultras detonated the IED near a rivulet, just a few metres away from the patrolling team while it was passing through the forest, a local police official told PTI.
Three constables, belonging to the CAF's 9th battalion, sustained superficial splinter injuries in the incident, the official said.
They were admitted to a hospital in Bijapur, he said, adding that their condition was stable.