On Saturday, four personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) were killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion in Chhotebethiya, Kanker district, Chhattisgarh, India. This incident marks the first fatalities among security forces since the Union Home Ministry's March 31 deadline aimed at ending Left-wing extremism. The DRG team was conducting a demining operation in an area that was previously a Maoist stronghold. During the operation, the personnel were attempting to defuse an IED when it exploded, resulting in serious injuries to four members. Inspector Sukhram Vatti, Constable Krishna Komra, and Constable Sanjay Gadhpale died on the spot, while Constable Parmanand Komra succumbed to injuries later in a medical facility. The Inspector General of Police for the Bastar range, Sundarraj Pattalingam, noted that hundreds of IEDs had been recovered and neutralized in recent months, highlighting the ongoing conflict in the region. Since 2024, anti-Maoist operations have intensified, resulting in over 500 Maoist deaths, while 42 security personnel and 119 civilians have also lost their lives in related violence.