Blasts Rock Chhattisgarh Red Zone On Poll Eve, BSF SI Dies

Patrol team targeted ahead of first phase polling in 18 constituencies

- Suvojit Bagchi

A day before the first phase of polling for 18 out of 90 constituencies in the partly Maoist dominated areas of Chhattisgarh, insurgents triggered a series of improvised explosive devices (IED) in the Koylibeda block of Kanker district, killing one BSF Sub Inspector and injuring another.

Inspector General of Police (Raipur Range) Dipanshu Kabra said a BSF team was out on an area domination exercise in view of the polling on Monday, when Maoists detonated at least six IEDs in a forest in the district, around 200 km from the capital Raipur.

The incident took place between Udanpur and Gattakal village, officials said.

Sub Inspector Mahendra Singh was killed in the blasts, said Mr. Kabra, the nodal officer for election related security in the State.