Maoist encounters, IED blast mar 1st phase of polling in Chhattisgarh; 5 hurt

An IED blast carried out by Maoists and eight encounters between them and security forces marred the first phase of assembly elections held in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, officials said.

Four security personnel were injured in an encounter in Sukma district while a commando of CoBRA, an elite unit of the Central Reserve Police Force sustained injuries in an improvised explosive device blast in the same district.

A Border Security Force jawan injured in an IED blast in Kanker district on Monday during poll duty succumbed at a hospital in Raipur on Tuesday.

In Sukma district, encounters took place between the security forces and Maoists in Banda, Minpa and Lakahpal areas on Tuesday, a senior police officer here said.

In the Minpa encounter four security personnel were injured, he said.

In Kanker district, encounters took place at Chhote Pakhanjur and Chhotebethiya areas, the official added.

An AK-47 rifle was recovered after a skirmish between a joint team of the BSF and the state police's District Reserve Guard, and the Maoists, he said.

Some Maoists might have been killed or injured in this encounter, he claimed.

In Bijapur district, a fierce gunbattle took place between security forces and Naxalites near Padeda village.

At least three Maoists were possibly killed in Padeda encounter as drone videos of the spot showed Maoists escaping while carrying bodies, he said.

A brief exchange of fire also took place between Maoists and security personnel near Gudadi village in Narayanpur district and another near Mangnar village in Dantewada district wherein no harm was reported to security personnel, he said.

On Monday, two polling personnel and a BSF jawan were injured in Chhotebethiya police station area in Kanker district when a pressure-triggered IED planted by Maoists went off as polling parties escorted by security personnel were heading for polling booths.

Injured BSF head constable Prakash Chandra Sewal, 36, succumbed to injuries on Tuesday at a private hospital in Raipur, the official said.

Voting was held in 20 constituencies, 12 of them located in Maoist-affected Bastar division, on Tuesday in the first phase of the two-phase elections for the 90-member state assembly.

A provisional turnout of 71.48 per cent was recorded amid Maoist violence and the call for boycott, officials said.