An Assistant Commandant of the CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) unit, Nitin P Balerao, succumbed to his injuries from an IED blast triggered by Naxals near the Tadmetla area in Sukma district on Saturday night.

The attack took place at 9 pm on Saturday at Chintalnar forest area and the injured personnel were evacuated by a helicopter. All officials belonged to the 206th Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA).


The Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off when the CRPF team along with local police was out on a special operation, Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P told news agency PTI.

A CRPF official had said on Saturday that one of the personnel had suffered critical injuries who died this morning.

Assistant Commandant Nitin Bhalerao died due to the injuries. A second-in-command rank officer was among the injured and all the wounded personnel have been admitted to a local hospital.

From among the injured, 8 personnel were lifted from a helicopter to Raipur during midnight for further treatment. Two injured personnel are getting treatment at the CRPF Hospital in Chintalnar.