A huge haul of explosives, including 15 Improvised Explosive Devices and three pressure bombs, were on Thursday recovered by security forces from separate places averting a massive strike in the Naxal-hit Bastar Parliamentary seat, where about 15 per cent of the electorate cast their votes in the initial hours of polling.
The explosives --15 Improvised Explosive Devices -- 10 kg each -- buried beneath were unearthed this morning by a joint patrol squad of Border Security Force and district force from Nelnar area of Narayanpur district, Joint Chief Electoral Officer DD Singh told PTI.
Acting on a tip-off, the security personnel had conducted a de-mining exercise in Nelnar region following which they detected a large number of landmines. Later, owing to security reasons, the Nelnar polling booth was shifted to a nearby place Akabeda, he said.
In a separate incident, three pressure bombs were recovered from Bhansi police station limits of Dantewada district by a local police team. The police party mobilised on getting information that Naxals have blocked Bacheli road in the region by felling trees. On reaching the spot, they recovered the bombs along with three dummy IEDs.
Of the 1,797 booths in Bastar, 1,407 booths have been marked as 'critical' and all steps have been taken to ensure free and fearless polling there, the official said. Earlier, a Naxal was gunned down late on Wednesday night and another injured in an encounter with security forces in Sukma district.
The face-off took place in the restive Golapalli police station limits on Chhattisgarh-Andhra Pradesh border when the joint party of state police and Greyhounds personnel from Andhra Pradesh was on a combing operation for ensuring security ahead of poll.
"The body of the slain Naxal has been recovered. The identity is yet to be ascertained," Sukma Superintendent of Police Abhishek Shandilya told PTI. The injured cadre has been shifted to Raipur for treatment, he added.
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