Kanker (Chhattisgarh), May 2: Three personnel of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) were killed and one seriously injured in an accidental Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast during a de-mining operation in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district on Saturday, officials said.

According to officials, the incident occurred near the Kanker-Narayanpur boundary, where a team was dispatched from Chhotebethiya Police Station for de-mining, area domination, and search operations.

During the operation, an IED, believed to have been planted earlier by Maoist insurgents, accidentally detonated while being neutralised. The powerful explosion left four DRG personnel injured.

Three of the injured, identified as Inspector Sukhram Vatti, Constable Krishna Komra, and Constable Sanjay Gadhpale, succumbed to their injuries on the spot. Another constable, Parmanand Komra, sustained serious injuries and is currently receiving medical treatment.

Bastar Range Inspector General of Police, P. Sundarraj, stated that in recent months, security forces had successfully recovered and defused hundreds of IEDs in the region, based on intelligence inputs and information provided by surrendered Maoist cadres. However, he described today's incident as a "tragic accident" that occurred during an ongoing effort to make the area safer.

Further details are awaited.

Earlier in April, in a separate development, a Naxal area commander carrying a bounty of Rs 5 lakh was killed in an encounter with security forces in the forests under Chhote Betiya police station limits in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district, according to police.

Kanker Superintendent of Police Nikhil Rakhecha said the slain Maoist was identified as area commander Rupi.

A body, along with a weapon, was recovered from the encounter site, officials added.

Further details regarding the encounter are awaited. (ANI)