Chhattisgarh polls: Naxals trigger IED blast; ITBP jawan injured

An ITBP jawan suffered minor injuries after Naxals triggered an IED blast on Thursday in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district where polling for Lok Sabha elections is underway, officials said.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police constable Maan Singh suffered minor injuries from the splinters of the improvised explosive device (IED) that took place at the Koracha-Manpur axis of the district at about 11 AM.

The jawan is out of danger, the official said.

"The rebels detonated the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) around 10.30 am between Medha and Dabba villages, falling under Manpur-Mohla Assembly segment, when a team of the ITBP was out on area domination operation in view of polling in the area," he said.

Polling in the Manpur-Mohla Assembly segment of Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha constituency is being held from 7 am to 3 pm. In the remaining seven Assembly segments of Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha seat, the polling time is from 7 am to 5 pm.

A thick security blanket of around 60,000 personnel, and drones, has been thrown around the three constituencies-Rajnandgaon, Kanker and Mahasamund - of the state where polling is being held in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections.