Two personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) have been killed in action and two police personnel have been injured after an IED planted by Maoists exploded in Chhattisgarh.

Around noon on Saturday, teams from the ITBP, Border Security Force (BSF) and the District Reserve Guard were returning to Narayanpur after carrying out an operation in Dhurbeda when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded near Kodliyar village in the Abujhmad region. 

The two ITBP personnel who were killed in action are Amar Panwar from Satara in Maharashtra and K Rajesh from Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh. Both Panwar and Rajesh were 36 years old and were part of the 53rd Battalion of the ITBP. 

The two injured police personnel, from the Narayanpur district police, are undergoing treatment and are reported to be stable.

The IED explosion comes less than two weeks after 38 Maoists were killed in a massive operation by security forces in the Abujhmad region. The action by the forces on October 4 saw the most number of Maoists being killed in a single operation in Chhattisgarh's 24-year-old history and they collectively carried a reward of Rs 2.62 crore.

Among the Maoists who were killed were Kamlesh alias RK, one of the most-wanted Maoist commanders, and Niti alias Urmila, a spokesperson for the group. Both were key figures in the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), with Kamlesh being wanted in five states and Urmila playing a crucial role in the Maoist propaganda machinery.