A CRPF constable was injured on Thursday after an improvised explosive device (IED), allegedly planted by the Maoists, exploded at Hesaband under Mufassil police station in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand.

Last week a CRPF constable was killed in a similar IED blast allegedly triggered by the Maoists in Goilkera police station of the same district.

“The injured constable has been identified as Hafizur Rehman (a native of Assam) of CRPF 174 battalion and has been airlifted in a chopper to Medica Superspeciality Hospital in Ranchi where his condition is reported to be stable,” said West Singhbhum superintendent of police Ashutosh Shekhar.

The police official said that the IED blasted while the security forces were undertaking combing operations against rebels.

Asked about the IED blast, chief minister Hemant Soren told reporters in Nagpur: “Security forces have dismantled stronghold of Naxals. They are in the concluding stages of eradicating Naxalism.”

The chief minister was in Nagpur to participate in a private event.

On November 17, a CRPF constable identified as Santosh Oraon from Jharkhand died in the IED blast while another constable Jayant Nath Barman was injured.

So far in the last few months, five security personnel (both Jharkhand Jaguar and CRPF) have been killed in IED blasts while 10 civilians have lost their lives after accidentally setting foot on the IED laid in the ground.

In September, CRPF constable Rajesh Kumar was killed in the Tonto police station area in an IED blast.

Additional reporting by PTI