A CRPF jawan was critically injured in a powerful IED blast during an ongoing anti-Maoist operation near the Banko stone quarry in Sundargarh district’s Kuari hill region, under K. Balang police limits, on Saturday.
The injured jawan, identified as Satyaban Singh, was part of a team conducting a combing operation when the device exploded. Authorities believe the improvised explosive device was planted by Maoist rebels, possibly using material stolen from a quarry earlier this month.
Security sources reported that the injured jawan was quickly evacuated to a medical facility and is now in stable condition.
The blast site lies in a region that has been under increased security surveillance following a major explosives heist nearly three weeks ago. Maoist operatives had looted five tonnes of explosives from the same Banko quarry. Since then, nearly four tonnes have been recovered, and operations are underway to trace the rest.
Officials suspect that Saturday’s blast may have been triggered using the remaining stolen explosives or may have been deliberately set to hinder search operations.
Senior officials from CRPF and Sundargarh police rushed to the site to review the situation. Reinforcements, bomb disposal units, and sniffer dog teams have been deployed to sanitize the area and search for additional IEDs.
Security measures have also been intensified in nearby villages and forest zones, with locals urged to report any suspicious activity immediately.
This incident highlights the continuing threat of Maoist violence in Odisha’s mineral-rich tribal regions, where dense forests and rugged terrain make counter-insurgency operations especially challenging.
