Chaibasa (Jharkhand): Three days after a youth was killed in an extremist-triggered blast in a forest under Goilkera police station limit, a 55-year-old woman suffered injuries when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by banned CPI (Maoists) in Rankuburu jungle under Tonto police station of West Singhbhum district went off on Saturday, a senior police officer on Friday said.
Superintendent of Police, Ashutosh Shekhar said the victim Jema Bahanda went in to the forest to collect firewood when the IED went off, injuring her seriously on Saturday.
The villagers informed about the incident to Tonto police on Friday, SP said adding that a joint team of district armed police, 197, 157, 174 battalions of CRPF and Jharkhand Jaguar in co-ordination reached the spot and rescued the injured woman.
The police and para-military personnel with help of villagers shifted her to the Sadar Hospital, Chaibasa, where she was admitted.
The woman was stated to be stable.
The rebels seemed to have become desperate and started targeting innocent villagers by using the IEDs, which they actually planted to harm the security personnel.
Maoists desperation was visible as the law enforcing agencies were continuing a massive drive against naxalites in core Kolhan area of West Singhbhum district from early January last.
The anti-naxal drive launched by the district police have produced satisfactory dividend since it was launched over a month and half ago.
In course of the operation, SP said hundreds of IEDs planted underneath kucha roads in forests were recovered, several leaders and cadres arrested or surrendered.
The extremist activities witnessed a drastic drop in the district since the operation began.
The incident on Saturday took place three days after a 23-year-old Harish Chandra Gope was blown up in the landmine explosion triggered by Maoists in Meralgada forest under Goilkera police station jurisdiction when he had gone to collect firewood.
Earlier, two persons had been killed in IED explosion during the operation in Tonto police station limit of the district.
