3459 IEDs have been recovered in Bastar in the last 24 years. Only in the year 2024, 311 IEDs have been found.
3459 IEDs have been recovered in Bastar in the last 24 years. Only in the year 2024, 311 IEDs have been found. From these figures it can be understood how easily IED is being planted in the land of Bastar. Scorpio rider DR got hit by the same IED in Bijapur on January 6.
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According to experts, 60 percent of the casualties in Naxalite attacks are due to IED explosions. The IED plant that was built in Bijapur would have cost only Rs 35 thousand to build. With basic knowledge and ingredients, it can be easily prepared in 20 minutes.
But what kind of explosive is IED, what is its history, how does it work, where did Naxalites learn to make IED, why Naxalites use it the most and where did we go wrong in security this time. Know in this explainer…
After the IED blast by Naxalites in Bijapur, there was a 10 feet crater on the road.
The British named the home made bomb as IED.
The Troubled Days…
Irish and English people know this period of approximately 30 years from 1969 to 1990 by this name. It was during this time period that the word IED came into existence for the first time. This was the period when there was a fierce conflict going on in Northern Ireland between the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the British Army.
These days, only three things, death, revenge and car bomb blasts were discussed here. In fact, in terms of resources and weapons, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) was much weaker than the British Army. The IRA men suffered losses in hand-to-hand combat.
Naxalites blew up a force vehicle with IED blast in Bijapur. 8 soldiers were martyred in the attack.
In such a situation the IRA started planting bombs in cars. Their people would plant a bomb in a car, drop it at a designated place and then explode the car after seeing the target. The British Army was suffering huge losses due to such car explosions.
The British Army’s investigation revealed that the bombs being used by the IRA were using a mixture of nitrobenzene, some fertilizers and diesel oil as explosives. IRA people are preparing these bombs in different sizes and quantities at their homes.
The IRA was getting help from America and Libya in making such bombs. So that they could be identified easily, the British Army named these home made bombs as IED i.e. Improvised Explosive Device. An explosive device that can be prepared instantly from home remedies. After this, IED came into global discussion in 2003 during the Iraq War.
Naxalites learned to make IED from Sri Lankan terrorists
A journal, Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, published in 2014 claimed that some Naxal leaders had learned how to make IEDs from Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). In the 1980s, LTTE was very active as a terrorist organization in Sri Lanka.
This is the first organization in the world which used human bomb. It has also been claimed in the journal that Naxalites have expertise in making Claymore Mine i.e. Directional IED. These IED’s can be planted on trees.
5 IED is made up of components, it takes only 20 minutes to prepare.
TL Chandra, Joint Director of State Forensic Laboratory, Raipur, said that basically five components are required to make an IED.
- switch It is also called trigger or activator. These can be of many types. The switches used in the electrical boards of homes are also included in this. The explosive is triggered through this switch.
- power source The switch connects to a power source or battery. These power sources can range from car batteries to watch batteries. In some cases, a matchbox can also be a power source.
- main charge Main charge i.e. primary explosive, it is responsible for the blast. The main charge contains chemicals like ammonium nitrate, urea nitrate, trinitrotoluene. Although these are not in pure form, other compounds are mixed with them.
- initiator A fuse or detonator is used as an initiator. A detonator is a small explosive charge. Which is connected to the main charge. It is connected to the main charge through a power source.
- container The main charge and initiator are held within the container itself. This container can be a tiffin, pressure cooker, truck, pipe, parcel box, anything.
A person with the correct chemical mixture proportions and basic electrical knowledge can easily prepare an IED in 20 minutes. Chandra says that such experts are in the Naxalites’ team. In such a situation, it is easy for them to prepare IED.
10 kg IED is enough to blow up a Scorpio
In the primary investigation of the recent incident, the fact has come to light that about 50 kg of explosives were used in the Bijapur IED blast. We talked to Dr. Rajesh Kumar Mishra, Director of State Forensic Laboratory, Raipur, about the explosive used in the main charge and its quantity. He told- Only 10-12 kg explosive is enough to blow up a vehicle like Scorpio.
In this context, the explosion caused by Naxalites could have blown up about 5 Scorpio vehicles. Dr. Mishra said that in the year 2021 also, a bus filled with DRG soldiers was blown up by Naxalites in an IED blast. During the lab test, it was revealed that they had used ammonium nitrate and black gun powder as the main charge of the IED.
Scorpio was destroyed by Naxalites’ IED blast.
Similarly, during the Darbha incident of 2013, Naxalites had used ammonium nitrate fuel oil and black powder in the main charge of the IED. Actually, till 2012, ammonium nitrate came in the category of fertilizer. In such a situation, it was easily available in the market.
Dr. Mishra told that like this time in the year 2021 also, Naxalites had used command wire IED. Lab tests had revealed that the Naxalites had layered blue carbon paper over the electric wires to avoid metal detectors.
50 kg explosive can be prepared for 35 to 40 thousand rupees
Professor Manoj Pradhan in the Mining Department of NIT, Raipur says that there is not much difference between IED and mining explosive. But IED is a dirty bomb. If understood in simple words, mining explosives are filtered at many levels. This also increases its price, but no such process is followed in making IED.
Mixture of diesel or petrol oil with cheap chemicals and very harmful chemicals is used in making IED. Pradhan told that if IED is prepared from ammonium nitrate, then 50 kg explosive can be prepared in a cast of 35 to 40 thousand. Naxalites use it the most because it is cheap and easily available.
Two major mistakes were made by the security forces during the entire operation
We also spoke to Brigadier (R) Basant Kumar Panwar on the recent attack. Panwar is an expert in guerrilla warfare. He said that two major mistakes were visible during the entire operation.
1. The road opening party did not do its work properly. Panwar said – Road Opening Party (ROP) is responsible for sanitizing the route of the main operating team while leaving or returning for any operation. The formation of ROP is in V shape. In the middle is the vehicle, its two vehicles and the foot patrolling team. Sniffer dogs are also present with this team.
This team remains present on the spot until the main operating team reaches its location safely. But in the recent incident, there were no sniffer dogs or foot marching soldiers present with the ROP party. The ROP party had moved ahead even before the main operating team left. Standard operating procedure was not followed. ,
2. As a precautionary measure, people go out on operations on forest roads on bike or on foot. Soldiers are given special training for this. It was wrong to return in a four-wheeler after such a major operation. The soldiers should have used bikes for this.
It is easy for Naxalites to target big vehicles in narrow and rough roads. Apart from this, the casualty rate is also high due to attack on a big vehicle.
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Also read this news related to Naxalite attack in Chhattisgarh…
1. If the bomb is below 2 feet, it cannot be detected: In the Bijapur attack, the IED was 5 feet below; No bomb detection machine in depth in Bastar
If the Maoists have planted an IED of even 50-50 kg within 5 to 7 feet, then the soldiers will not be able to find it.
If Naxalites have planted a bomb or IED more than two feet deep under the ground, the soldiers do not have any machine to detect it. Same thing happened in the Naxalite attack in Bijapur. One driver and 8 soldiers were martyred in this. In this the IED was planted about five feet below. 2. Bijapur Naxalite attack, IED was planted while the road was being built: Blast took place 3 years after laying the gunpowder, DRG soldiers were the target.
The soldiers’ bodies were torn to pieces in the IED blast.
This is the time and date when Naxalites blasted a vehicle loaded with DRG soldiers in Bijapur district. In this, 8 soldiers and one driver were martyred. This is the first biggest Naxalite attack of the year 2025.
