Chaibasa (Jharkhand), Jan 11 (PTI) An improvised explosive device (IED), planted by red rebels, was recovered on Thursday by security personnel during an anti-Maoist operation in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district, police said.

They detected the IED, planted by the Maoists, in a forest near Meralgada village under the Goilkera Police Station limits.

Also Read | Mamata Banerjee on ‘One Nation, One Election’: West Bengal CM Says She Cannot Agree With Concept as Its ‘Not Mentioned in Constitution’.

The IED weighing 7 kg was destroyed on the spot by a bomb disposal squad, a police statement said.

The security forces have been engaged in combing operations in the core Kolhan area of the district for the last one year, following intelligence input about the presence of proscribed Maoist leaders including Misir Besra, who carries a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head, West Singhbhum Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Shekhar said in the statement.

Also Read | Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Eidgah Dispute: Allahabad High Court Hears Submissions of Both Parties, To Pronounce Order on Modalities of Survey of Mosque Complex Later.

The operation was continuing.

Security personnel had on Wednesday recovered and defused a 5 kg IED in a forest under Muffasil police station.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)