Three personnel of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), including an inspector, were martyred as a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off during a demining operation in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district on Saturday. The incident has come as a grim setback in the region’s anti-Naxal efforts.

According to officials, the explosion occurred in a forested area under the Chhotebethiya Police Station limits, near the Narayanpur district border, when a team from the DRG was trying to detect and defuse explosives allegedly planted by Maoist insurgents.

IED detonates in the middle of defusal

The police said that the DRG team managed to identify an IED during the operation. However, it detonated while the personnel were trying to neutralise it, leading to grievous injuries. Inspector Sukhram Vatti, constable Krishna Komra and constable Sanjay Gadhpale were among the ones who were martyred in the incident, losing their lives on the spot. Meanwhile, another constable named Parmanand Komra sustained grievous injuries and remains under medical supervision at present.

The incident, as per authorities, is the first such blast linked to Maoist activity in the state, since the country had been declared free from armed Maoists on March 31, 2026.

CM pays tribute

Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai posted a condolence message on his official ‘’X handle. His tweet read, “I pay humble tribute to the martyred soldiers and pray for the swift recovery of the injured. May the departed souls rest in peace, and may their families find the strength to endure this loss.” He also assured that the state government stands firmly with the families of the deceased and the injured, acknowledging their dedication, courage and sacrifice.

Anit-naxal ops stepped up

Bastar Range’s Inspector General of Police, Sundarraj Pattilingam said that security forces have stepped up efforts in recent months, following intelligence inputs, including information from surrendered Maoist cadres. He added that hundreds of IEDs planted by insurgents have been recovered and neutralised across the Bastar region, which spans seven districts, including Kanker.