An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast injured a jawan from the elite Jharkhand Jaguar unit during a search operation in the dense Saranda forest near Babudara under Chhotanagra police station limits.
The jawan, identified as Manoj Damai, sustained serious injuries and was immediately airlifted to Ranchi for advanced medical treatment.
According to preliminary reports, the explosion occurred while Damai was combing the forested area, notorious for left-wing extremist activities. The incident comes barely 24 hours after the joint forces of Jharkhand Jaguar and CRPF’s 60 Battalion seized a staggering cache of 18,000 detonators from the same area—a recovery believed to have dealt a significant blow to extremist capabilities in the region.
The proximity of the blast to the recent seizure has raised concerns among security agencies regarding retaliatory attempts and the increasing sophistication of explosive traps laid by anti-national elements.
Officials remain tight-lipped about the nature of the search operation but confirmed heightened surveillance and reinforcement deployment along the Odisha-Jharkhand border. Senior police officials have reached the site to oversee ongoing operations.
The blast underscores the persistent risks faced by security personnel engaged in counter-insurgency operations across volatile forest zones and reiterates the need for sustained vigilance and intelligence-led missions.
