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Bastar, Chhattisgarh: Four security personnel lost their lives in an accidental Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast during a routine operation to recover Maoist dumps in Bastar division, Chhattisgarh Police said on Saturday.

Inspector General of Bastar Range Sundarraj P said the incident occurred in the forest area of Adnar on the border of Narayanpur and Kanker districts.

"In the Bastar division, in the years 2025 and 2026, a large number of Maoist cadres have renounced the path of violence and come forward for rehabilitation. Based on information provided by them and based on information available to the police, security forces are continuously recovering Maoist dumps containing IEDs, weapons, arms, ammunition, shells, and other materials," he told ANI.

He said that on May 2, a Kanker DRG team had gone to recover a Maoist dump when the incident occurred.

"In this connection, today, our team went to recover a Maoist dump in the forest area bordering Narayanpur and Kanker districts. During today's operation, a large number of electronic materials previously dumped by the Maoists were recovered. While recovering another dump, an explosion occurred. An IED was detonated," Sundarraj said.

He confirmed that four personnel lost their lives in the explosion.

"In this accident, Inspector Sukhram Bhatti, the in-charge of the Kanker DRG team, and three other constables--Parmanand Korram, Krishna Kumar, and Sanjay Garhpale--were seriously injured. Inspector Sukhram Bhatti, Sanjay, and Krishna Kumar died on the spot. The fourth constable, Parmanand, was airlifted to Raipur, but unfortunately, he also passed away during treatment. In today's incident, we have unfortunately lost four of our colleagues," he said.

Sundarraj P added that the operation to recover IEDs and explosives has been ongoing in Bastar for several months as part of anti-Maoist efforts.

"This process has been ongoing across the Bastar division for the last seven or eight months. Due to these efforts, we recovered 900 IEDs in 2025 and 300 so far in 2026, totalling 1,200 IEDs. Additionally, more than 300 weapons, including AK-47s, LMGs, INSAS rifles, SLRs, and BGL launchers, have been recovered," he added.

Speaking on whether there was any lapse in the operation, the IG said IEDs remain a major challenge for security forces due to their complex nature.

"This should not be viewed as a 'lapse' because IEDs have always been a major challenge for security forces. While we have recovered many IEDs previously without incident, their mechanisms are extremely complex--sometimes they are command IEDs, pressure IEDs, or victim-operated IEDs. Explosives are also affected by environmental factors, and with the current heat of the season, the exact cause will be clarified after a forensic and ballistic examination," he said.

He further said that anti-Maoist operations, including IED clearance, will continue in the region.

"We are continuously gathering information from surrender cadres about Maoist dumps. Our BDS and demining teams are working to make the entire region IED-free as soon as possible. While a majority of IEDs have been recovered, completing the remaining work remains our top priority," he assured.