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IED blast in Jharkhands Saranda forest kills minor girl, injures two women

RANCHI: A minor girl was killed and two women were seriously injured in an alleged IED blast in the Saranda jungles of West Singhbhum on Friday evening. The incident occurred between Kolbanga and Bindikiri villages under the Jaraikela Police Station limits. West Singhbhum Superintendent of Police Amit Renu confirmed the incident. Three women had gone into the jungles to collect dried leaves and firewood, during which IED blast took place claiming the life of a young woman while two others were seriously injured, said the SP. The deceased is being identified, and the age is yet to be determined, he added. Those who were injured include Shalini Kandulna (30) and Birsi Ghanwar (35). They were immediately taken to the Manoharpur Community Health Centre, where they were given first aid and then referred to a higher centre for better treatment. Villagers also asserted that the incident occurred when the women had gone into the forest to collect firewood and dry leaves. A loud explosion was heard, prompting locals to evacuate the injured, they said. Notably, Maoists are now largely restricted to the Saranda jungles in Jharkhand, as they have been wiped out from other pockets of the state. According to an estimate, around 6065 Maoists are believed to be hiding in the Saranda region, where they have planted thousands of IEDs, posing a major challenge for security forces. The state police launched a joint operation in the Kolhan and Saranda jungles of Chaibasa in November 2022. Since November 2022, six security personnel have lost their lives and 20 others have been critically injured, besides nearly 22 civilians who have died and a dozen others critically injured in alleged IED blasts triggered by Maoists in the Chaibasa jungles. The joint operation, conducted by personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Jharkhand Police, was launched following intelligence inputs about the presence of top Maoist leaders in the region, including Misir Besra, a senior CPI (Maoist) commander with a bounty of 1 crore on his head.

28 Nov 2025 11:03 pm