Landmine kills five security personnel

Five security force personnel and a civilian were killed and 11 persons injured in a bomb blast in Naxal-affected Dantewara district of Chhattisgarh today.

Five security force personnel and a civilian were killed and 11 persons injured in a bomb blast in Naxal-affected Dantewara district of Chhattisgarh today.

The landmine went off at around 9 am when a bomb disposal squad was combing the forest area at Bhairamgarh in the district on foot. “The explosion took place at Phundri village, 10 km from Bhairamgarh on the Geedam-Bhopalapatnam road this morning, when a police patrol was trying to defuse a landmine laid by Naxalites. Two other landmines were also detected nearby,” said Dantewara collector K R Pisda.

IG Girdhari Nayak said: “The bomb disposal squad had just removed a landmine and were disconnecting it when another hidden mine went off causing casualties.” Five persons, who were seriously injured in the blast, were rushed to Raipur by helicopter for treatment.

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Meanwhile, terming the ongoing fight against Naxals as a national problem, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said the biggest obstacle in countering the Naxal menace was the lack of political clarity and consensus. The CM said it was high time a national policy was evolved to fight Naxalism. He said the best way to proceed would be to set up an expert committee for suggesting ways and means to fight the menace.

The CM also admitted that Naxalite violence had increased after Salwa Judum started operations.