IED event in Jharkhand, Saranda Forest, West Singhbhum District area, India on Mon 4th May 2026

On May 4, an alleged Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast took place in the Saranda Forest area of West Singhbhum District, Jharkhand, reports The New Indian Express. According to Forest Department officials, on May 15, a 13-year-old elephant succumbed to injuries sustained in the blast near a drain along the Sasangda-Lebragada stretch of Saranda Forests on May 4, after reportedly triggering an IED planted by Maoists. Officials stated that this was the fourth elephant death linked to Maoist IED explosions in the Saranda region. Saranda Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Aviroop Sinha disclosed that six elephants had been injured in Maoist-planted IED blasts in the past year, five of which died in Jharkhand, while another died after moving into Odisha. He stated that approximately 45 Maoists are believed to be hiding in Saranda Forests, where thousands of IEDs allegedly remain planted.  To address recurring wildlife casualties, Forest officials are establishing elephant rescue centres at Anandpur and Noamundi and deploying specialised medical rescue units in the forest region.