Bastar, May 2 -- Four security personnel lost their lives in an accidental Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast during a routine operation to recover Maoist dumps in Bastar division, Chhattisgarh Police said on Saturday.

Inspector General of Bastar Range Sundarraj P said the incident occurred in the forest area of Adnar on the border of Narayanpur and Kanker districts.

"In the Bastar division, in the years 2025 and 2026, a large number of Maoist cadres have renounced the path of violence and come forward for rehabilitation. Based on information provided by them and based on information available to the police, security forces are continuously recovering Maoist dumps containing IEDs, weapons, arms, ammunition, shells, and other materi...