Malkangiri: Personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) unraveled and later defused as many as five Improvised Explosive Device (IED)-powered landmines in Malkangiri district Saturday morning, which were allegedly planted by a faction of outlawed CPI (Maoist).
A major mishap could be averted due to alertness of the personnel. A BSF senior official said the explosives were planted near an under-construction road at Kadigandi village of Swabhiman Anchal (erstwhile cut-off area) in the district.
“It is suspected that the ultras had planted the IEDs with an intention to target the security personnel who have been deployed in the area,” the BSF official added.
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“Landmines were detected by some BSF jawans posted at recently established Company Operating Base (COB) of the 9th Battalion in Ghanabeda during a combing operation in the area. The explosives were later successfully defused by Bomb Disposal Squad of BSF stationed at the camp,” the official informed.
Bomb squad cordoned the area and destroyed the landmines.
More details of the incident are still awaited.
PNN