IED Was Likely Planted a Month Before Blast

The high-intensity IED (improvised explosive device) used by Maoists in an attack in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Monday, in which eight police personnel and a civilian driver were killed, was likely planted at least a month before the incident, officials aware of the matter said, adding that Bijapur continues to be a hot spot for Left-wing extremism (LWE), with IEDs planted by the Maoists being recovered frequently.

- Prawesh Lama

NEW DELHI: The high-intensity IED (improvised explosive device) used by Maoists in an attack in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Monday, in which eight police personnel and a civilian driver were killed, was likely planted at least a month before the incident, officials aware of the matter said, adding that Bijapur continues to be a hot spot for Left-wing extremism (LWE), with IEDs planted by the Maoists being recovered frequently.

"The IED used on Monday must have been planted more than a month ago. The road where explosives were placed had a thick overgrowth of grass and other plants. The wires recovered from the spot appeared to be weeks old. The Maoists planted the IED and just needed to detonate it when they decided to attack. Bijapur district must be having hundreds of such IEDs planted by the Maoist groups," a senior police officer aware of the matter said on condition of anonymity.