Policeman wounded in explosive device blast in India's Chhattisgarh

NEW DELHI, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- A policeman was wounded when a pressure Improvised Explosive Device (IED), believed to be planted by Naxals, went off Monday in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, police said.

The explosion took place in the forest area of Kandlaparti village of Bijapur district, about 495 km south of Raipur, the capital city of Chhattisgarh.

According to police, the wounded policeman was part of a government forces contingent that was out in the forest area on an anti-Naxal operation.

"The policeman inadvertently came in contact with a pressure IED, triggering the blast and causing him wounds," an official said.

Last week, a paramilitary trooper was killed and two others wounded in an IED blast triggered by Naxals in the adjacent state.

Currently, Naxals are active across the central and eastern parts of India. The insurgency has reportedly claimed hundreds of lives besides rendering thousands of poor inhabitants homeless.