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13 SOG jawans injured in landmine blast in Gajapati

— Photo: Lingaraj Panda

The airlifted injured security personnel being treated at the MKCG Medical College Hospital in Berhampur on Monday.

BERHAMPUR: Thirteen jawans of the Special Operation Group (SOG) were injured in a landmine blast triggered by naxals near Adaba in Gajapati district of south Orissa on Monday morning.

Two seriously injured jawans were airlifted by helicopter to the MKCG Medical College in the city for treatment. Combing operation has been intensified in the area following the blast. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, southern range, R. P. Koche and Gajapati Superintendent of Police S. A. Khan rushed to the spot to monitor the investigation and combing operation.

The incident occurred when the policemen were on their way to Katama village under Adaba police station of Mohana block.

They were travelling by a minibus on the Adaba-Paniganda road. The police force had organised a health camp at the Katama village to increase their relationship with villagers in this naxal-infested area.

The naxals had planted the landmine under a culvert at ‘Andhari Ghati’, about 4 km from Adaba.

They let bikes carrying policemen pass through the culvert unscathed before targeting the minibus carrying the SOG jawans. But the jawans were lucky as the naxals failed in their timing of the blast. The blast did not happen while the minibus was passing over the culvert. But the blast was so huge that a large portion of the culvert got ripped off and fell on the roof of the minibus injuring the jawans.

The injured jawans were initially carried to the Adaba hospital. According to deputy commandant of operations in Gajapti district, K. C. Panda there were 14 persons in the minibus when the blast occurred.

Inspector General of Police Sudhansu Sadangi flew in with a helicopter from Bhubaneswar to airlift seriously injured Simanchal Behera and Bholeswar Raut to the MKCG Medical College Hospital.

The road communication between Adaba and Brahmanigaon in Kandhamal district remained cut for several hours following the blast. Through this blast naxals have again started to make their presence felt in Gajapati district which borders naxal-infested Rayagada and Kandhamal districts.

The last major Maoist violence in Gajapati district was in Feb 2006 when naxals had attacked and taken over R.Udaygiri town for several hours.

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13 SOG jawans injured in landmine blast in Gajapati

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