A Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) jawan died in an IED blast in the Bijapur district on Sunday afternoon.

The incident took place when a Road Opening Party (ROP) of the CAF left the Bechapal police camp near the Dantewada district border, 75 kilometers from Bijapur district headquarters. The force was heading from Gandokalpara to Kutulpara when the explosion occurred in Bechapal Padampara.

The deceased was identified as Ram Ashish Yadav, a member of the ROP. The ROP is an anti-Naxal operation undertaken to clear both sides of the road before the movement of security personnel to ensure no ultras hiding in the jungle can execute an ambush attack. According to the police, the Bechapal camp was established more than a year ago and Naxals frequently lay IEDs to impede police movement and cause casualties.

When asked if an IED detector device was used during the ROP, a police official said, “The Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) team was there but risks have to be taken as the area is huge.”

Yadav, a head constable, stepped on the pressure IED which exploded, killing him on the spot. He joined the police department in 1997 and was a native of Asnwar village in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia district. An FIR for murder has been filed at the Mirtur police station.