C'garh: 2 security personnel killed, 1 hurt in Naxal incidents

Two security personnel, one of them belonging to the ITBP, were killed and another one was injured in three separate incidents involving Naxals in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Narayanpur district on Wednesday, a police official said.

The Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawan was killed when Naxals triggered a pipe bomb blast near a culvert under Sonpur police station limits around 6.15 pm, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P told PTI.

''The explosion occurred when a squad of 53rd battalion of the ITBP was returning after carrying out a demining exercise (conducted to trace IEDs planted by Naxals),'' he said.

The deceased jawan was identified as constable L Balachandra, he said.

In another incident, a District Reserve Guard (DRG) constable, Kanker Usendi, was injured in an encounter with Naxals at a forest near Kukur village under Sonpur police station area adjoining Maharashtra. He succumbed to his injuries while being evacuated out of the forest, he said.

Earlier at around 11 am, a Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) constable Bankeshwar Paikra sustained splinter injuries in a blast triggered by Maoists at a forest in Kukrajhar police station area, he said.

''The injured jawan was rushed to a hospital in Narayanpur, from where he was airlifted to Raipur for further medication,'' he added.