Police constable killed in bomb blast triggered by Naxals

Raipur, Apr 14: A police constable was today killed in a pressure bomb blast triggered by Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district.

The incident occurred this morning in a forest between Matwada and Jangla villages under Jangla police station limits of the district, when a road opening party was carrying out its task in the region, Bijapur Additional Superintendent of Police Indira Kalyan Elsela told PTI.

The joint road opening party, comprising personnel of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and district force, had started patrolling from Matwada camp of the security forces.

After the team covered a distance of around 1.5 kms, assistant constable Ayitu Lekam accidentally came in contact with a pressure bomb planted by Maoists that exploded, injuring him critically, the ASP said.

"Lekam, who was posted at Jangla police station, succumbed to his injuries while being taken out from the forest," he said. A combing operation has been launched in the region to trace the assailants, he added.

PTI