Overview

• Head constable Mahendra Laskar, 45, from Assam’s Nagaon district, died during treatment in Rourkela after Friday night explosions in West Singhbhum’s Saranda forest.
• Two other CRPF personnel, including Inspector K.K. Mishra, were injured; officials said they were stable and being shifted for advanced medical care.
• Police reported two sequential blasts during a joint CRPF–Jharkhand Police search in the Babudih/Babudera area under Jaraikela police limits.
• Investigators suspect CPI (Maoist) cadres planted the IEDs during their declared 'Resistance Week', with IG Michael Raj noting deployments of 12 CRPF battalions plus JAP and IRB units statewide.
• In a separate incident, an IED injured a CoBRA commando from the 206th battalion during an area-domination patrol in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur, and his condition was described as out of danger.