A 10-year-old boy was killed when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by CPI (Maoists) in Jharkhand's West Singbhum district exploded, a senior police officer said on Friday.

The boy, a resident of Banglasai tola of Rengrahatu, had gone to the Rolabrupi Jengagada forest to pluck kendu leaves when the IED planted by Maoists to target security personnel on anti-Maoist operation exploded on Thursday evening killing him, said Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Shekhar.

Security personnel including district police and CRPF rushed to the spot and recovered the body with the help of villagers and sent it for post-mortem in Sadar Hospital, Chaibasa, he said.

Describing the incident as "a cowardice act by the Maoists in desperation", the SP said anti-Maoist operation is going on uninterrupted.

Five villagers including two elderly women had been killed in Maoist-planted IED explosion in the district since January this year.

The Maoists had planted IEDS to target security forces as the district police along with CRPF, Cobra and Jharkhand Jaguar launched a massive operation against the banned outfit from January this year following an input that top Maoist leaders including Misir Besra, who carry a reward of Rupees one crore on his head, were active in core Kolhan area of the district.

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