A day before Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram's proposed visit to Lalgarh in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur district to review the progress of the anti-Maoist operation, suspected Maoists triggered a landmine explosion, targeting security personnel at Bamal village on Saturday.
Police said no one was injured in the blast.
District Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Verma said suspected Maoists triggered the explosion on a road near the village when a patrol-vehicle carrying Central Reserve Police Force personnel was passing by.
“The explosion left a crater on the road. The blast seemed to have been triggered from at least a kilometre away. During search operations an almost 1-km long wire was discovered,” Mr. Verma told The Hindu.
He asserted that “necessary steps” were being taken to tighten the security during Mr. Chidambaram's visit.
Director General of Police Bhupinder Singh did not see the incident as anything serious, saying they were routine happenings in troubled areas.
He, however, added that security would be ‘further strengthened' for the Union Home Minister's visit.
Mr. Verma said that in combing operations since Thursday security forces arrested three suspected Maoists and detained five others.
There was flutter at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport here on Saturday after the detection of an unclaimed bag just hours before Mr. Chidambaram's arrival.
The Maoist-backed Police Santrash Birodhi Janasadharaner Committee has called a 24-hour-bandh on Sunday in the three districts of Paschim Medinipur district, Bankura and Purulia in protest against Mr. Chidambaram's visit.
Keywords: Maoists, landmine blast, CRPF jawan, Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram, West Midnapore
