Maoists used foxhole tunnel to plant IED in Dantewada: CRPF DG Durga Prasad

NEW DELHI: The powerful IED explosion that killed seven CRPF men in Dantewada on Wednesday was planted after digging a “foxhole tunnel” near a culvert to plant 45 kilogramme of explosive beneath the concrete black top road, said CRPF DG K Durga Prasad.

The explosion was triggered from 94-metres away through wires causing the Tata 407 vehicle to split into three pieces.

Prasad, who came back to New Delhi, after a visit to the ambush spot on Thursday said: “The team of Naxals fired on the bodies of the slain jawans when they came near the site to loot the weapons. The wire used for causing the explosion seems to have been freshly laid. We have sent the electric wire used to detonate the explosives for forensic tests. There are also strong chances that some locals tipped them about the movement of the CRPF vehicle.”


Prasad told ET that the convoy, which was attacked by the Naxals, was travelling to deliver a cooler for an ailing sniffer dog in Dantewada and a court of inquiry has been ordered to study any possible lapses and revise the SoPs if required. According to preliminary investigations, Naxals have now devised a new strategy where they dig a foxhole tunnel near a culvert and plant explosive beneath the black top road.

CRPF teams have detected a similar tunnel that was 9-feet deep beneath the road at Bijapur last week. Another trend that has been witnessed in Chhattisgarh is increased use of remote control IEDs, said Prasad. They have seized nine IED connected with cordtex at a forested patch in Rajpeta near Bijapur, Prasad added.

The CPRF chief also said that it is due to the paramilitary and state police’s constant crackdown on the ultras that they are now targeting the security forces in new areas.

While there has been decline in Naxal activities in states like Jharkhand and Odisha, Chhattisgarh still remains a hotbed of Maoist action as the outfit recently observed Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign (TCOC) between March 23-29 where they aimed to target security forces and establishment by practising attacks and blasts strategies.