IED event in Chhattisgarh, Bijapur area, India on Wed 29th July 2026

On July 29, two villagers, including a minor, were injured in separate Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blasts triggered by suspected Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) pressure IEDs in Bijapur District, Chhattisgarh, reports ETV Bharat. According to Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Chandrakant Govarna, both incidents occurred in forest areas where Maoists had previously planted explosives. The first incident occurred near Neelam Sarai Waterfall when a group of youths and children from Karigundam Village in the Chintagufa Police Station area of neighbouring Sukma District were travelling to the site. About 1.5 kilometres before reaching the waterfall, 13-year-old Sodhi Deva, son of Hunga Sodhi, stepped on a pressure IED, sustaining injuries to the heel of his right foot. He was shifted to Usur Community Health Centre and later referred to the District Hospital for further treatment. In the second incident, 15-year-old Vinod Kattam, son of Chandru Kattam, was injured after stepping on another pressure IED while grazing cattle near Nambi Stream close to Nambi Village. Rescue efforts were hampered by heavy rainfall and waterlogging, though Security Forces (SFs) launched an operation to evacuate the injured youth safely.