State PCS - Chhattisgarh (CGPSC)

• 15 Apr 2025

IEDs Recovered in Bijapur

Why in News? 

Security forces recovered five Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district. 

 Key Points 

• IEDs Detection: 
  • A joint team of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) and local police detected five IEDs near Mankeli village in Bijapur district. 
  • The team was conducting an area domination and demining operation when they uncovered the explosives. 
• Pattern of Maoist Attacks in Bastar Region: 
  • Maoists frequently plant IEDs along forest roads and dirt tracks in the interior areas of the Bastar region, which includes Bijapur and six other districts. 
  • These traps often target security forces during patrolling, but in several cases, civilians have also suffered casualties. 

 Improvised Explosive Device  

• An improvised explosive device (IED) is a homemade bomb designed to destroy or incapacitate targets, commonly used by criminals, terrorists, and insurgents in various forms.  
• IEDs can be delivered through multiple means, including vehicles, placement by individuals, or roadside concealment, and gained prominence during the Iraq War that began in 2003. 

  

Maoism  

• About: 
  • Maoists, also known as Left-wing Extremists (LWE) or Naxalites, are a group in India advocating for the overthrow of the government through armed revolution, based on Maoist ideology. 
• Maoist Ideology:   
  • The central theme of Maoist ideology is the use of violence and armed insurrection as a means to capture State power.    
    • ‘Bearing of arms is non-negotiable’ as per the Maoist insurgency doctrine.    
• Indian Maoists:   
  • The largest and the most violent Maoist formation in India is the Communist Party of India (Maoist) formed in 2004.   
  • The CPI (Maoist) and its front organizations were banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.   
  • Front Organizations are the off-shoots of the parent Maoist party, which professes a separate existence to escape legal liability.