As Naxals targeted a polling party in Chhattisgarh amid assembly polls today, one Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawan was killed. It has been reported that the Naxals carried out an explosion using an improvised explosive device (IED). As per media reports, the incident took place when the polling party was returning after the conclusion of voting for the second phase of the Chhattisgarh election.
According to Arif Sheikh, Inspector-General of Police for Raipur Range, "An IED blast was carried out by the naxals targeting the polling party when they were returning from Bade Gobra polling station. ITBP head constable Joginder Singh died in the blast. The polling party and EVM machine reached Gariaband safely."
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Chhattisgarh voted in the second phase of polling on Friday, with 958 candidates in the fray for 70 assembly seats across 19 districts. The state recorded a voter turnout of 67.34 per cent till 5 pm in phase two of the polling on Friday.
Low-intensity IED blasts in Chhattisgarh
The attack perpetrated by the Naxals came a day after the Naxals triggered two low-intensity IED blasts in Dhamtari region in Chhattisgarh's Khallari-Gatapur road in Sihawa. However, no casualties were reported in the incident.
Later, security personnel seized a 5 kg improvised explosive device from the area, a senior police official was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
