STF jawan killed in pressure bomb explosion in C'garh

A 35-year-old STF constable was killed and a police jawan was injured today when a pressure bomb planted by naxals went off in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Bijapur district, police said.
The incident occurred in the forest near Hidmapara village under Basaguda police station limits when a joint team of the Special Task Force (STF) and District Force (DF) was returning after conducting an anti-Maoist operation, a senior police official told PTI.
Basaguda is located around 450 kms away from the state capital.
As per preliminary information, the explosion occurred after the STF constable, identified as Lakhan Gadbale, unknowingly stepped on the pressure IED connection near Hidmapara.

"Gadbale succumbed to injuries while being airlifted to Jagdalpur for treatment," the official said.
DF constable Ashish Tiwari who was walking nearby Gadbale sustained minor injuries in the blast and was being airlifted to Raipur for better treatment, he said.