Kanker (Chhattisgarh): Three jawans of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) were killed when an improvised explosive device (IED), allegedly planted earlier by Maoists, detonated during a demining operation in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh on Saturday, police officials said.

The incident occurred after a security team was deployed in the border areas of Kanker and Narayanpur districts to carry out demining, area domination and search operations, officials said.

According to the police, the blast took place in a forested area under the jurisdiction of Chhote Bethiya police station, adjoining Narayanpur district, where a DRG unit was engaged in locating and defusing IEDs suspected to have been planted by Maoists in the past.

During the operation, four members of the Kanker DRG sustained injuries after being caught in the explosion. Of them, three personnel -- Inspector Sukhram Vatti, Constable Krishna Komra and Constable Sanjay Gadhpale -- succumbed to their injuries at the site, officials confirmed.

The fourth injured personnel, Constable Parmanand Komra, is currently undergoing treatment and is being provided with necessary medical care.

Bastar Range Inspector General of Police Sundarraj Pattilingam said that in recent months, security forces have recovered and neutralised hundreds of IEDs hidden by Maoists across the Bastar region, based on intelligence inputs and information provided by surrendered cadres.

"However, in today's unfortunate incident, while the Kanker District Police team was in the process of neutralising an IED, it detonated unexpectedly, resulting in the deaths of three police personnel and leaving one member of the force critically injured," the IG said in a statement.

The DRG is a specialised force formed for anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh.

Officials noted that this is the first blast incident linked to Maoists since the state was declared free from armed Maoist activity on March 31.