Kawardha (Chhattisgarh) [India], August 18 (ANI): Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma condoled the death of Jawan Dinesh Nag, who lost his life in an IED blast in Bijapur district.

Speaking on the incident, Sharma said, 'Three other jawans were injured in the blast but are now out of danger. The state government stands firmly with the families of the martyred jawan and those injured.' He added that a search operation is underway in the area, and another encounter with Naxalites is possible.

Earlier today, one DRG jawan was killed and two others injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast triggered by Naxalites in the National Park area of Bijapur district on Monday, a police official said.

According to IG Bastar P Sundarraj, during an anti-Maoist operation by the DRG team in Bijapur district's National Park area, an IED blast occurred in the morning.

DRG jawan Dinesh Nag was killed, and three others were injured.

The injured personnel are in stable condition and out of danger. They have received first aid and are being evacuated for further treatment.

Earlier on August 14, the security forces neutralised two dreaded naxal cadres carrying a combined bounty of Rs 1.16 crore during a gun battle in Chhattisgarh's Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district.

Vijay Reddy, a member of the Dandkaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), who carried a bounty of Rs 90 lakh, and Lokesh Salame, Secretary of the Rajnandgaon-Kanker Border (RKB) division, with a reward of Rs 26 lakh on his head, were neutralised in a joint operation by the Chhattisgarh Police, District Reserve Guard (DRG), and the 27th Battalion of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on August 13 in the state's insurgency-hit region.

The gun battle erupted during a coordinated anti-Naxal operation, the ITBP said in a statement. 'Security forces had been tracking the movement of the duo in the dense forest belt when the exchange of fire broke out.'

According to officials, the elimination of Reddy and Salame is considered a major blow to Naxal operations in the Dandkaranya region and along the Rajnandgaon-Kanker border. Weapons and other naxal-related materials were recovered from the site.

The slain ultras were on the hunt among leaders of the North Bastar region for the past two decades. (ANI)