CoBRA battalion inspector injured in IED blast in J’khand

The IEDs, weighing 5 kgs each, were defused by bomb disposal squad on the site, Shekhar added.

An inspector of CoBRA battalion was injured on Saturday after an improvised explosive device (IED) went off during an anti-Maoist operation in a forest of Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district, police said.

The incident occurred in the forest between Rengrahatu and Tumbahaka villages under the Tonto Police Station limits when a joint team of CRPF, CoBRA, Jharkhand Jaguar, and district armed police personnel was conducting the operation, DIG (Kolhan) Ajay Linda said.

''The CoBRA battalion inspector has a splinter injury. The anti-Maoist operation is still on,'' he said.

Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) is a specialized force to deal with Maoists.

Prabhakar Sahni, the injured inspector, was airlifted and admitted to a hospital in Ranchi, West Singhbhum Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Shekhar said.

Acting on a tip-off about the presence of top CPI (Maoist) leader Misir Besra, who carries a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head, and Patiram Manjhi alias Anal da along with their squad members in the forest areas, the operation was launched, the SP said. Ten IEDs planted by members of banned CPI (Maoist) outfit were recovered from a forest near Ichahatu village under the Goilkera Police Station limits, he said. The IEDs, weighing 5 kgs each, were defused by the bomb disposal squad on the site, Shekhar added.