A land mine blast triggered by Maoists killed a police jawan and left another officer in critical condition on Wednesday in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district. The attack came on the first day of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army week observed by the Communist Party of India (Maoist), PTI reported. A join team of the Border Security Force and the district police were out at an operation and trying to cordon off a forested patch in north Bastar when the explosion took place.

Reinforcements arrived quickly and the injured officers were airlifted to a hospital in Raipur. Assistant constable Baijuram Potai died, while the condition of constable Santram Netam is critical,” said Superintendent of Police Jitendra Singh Meena. The police are combing the area to find the attackers. Security had been tightened in the area as Maoists there were observing their liberation week, during which they spread their ideology, recruit new members and review military operations, in addition to attacking security forces.