Bhopal/IBNS: At least eight jawans and a driver were killed in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district when Maoists blew up their vehicle with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on Monday, media reports said.

The nine were returning from an operation when the IED blew up the Scorpio SUV at Kutru in the Bastar region around 2.15 pm.

Earlier in the day, security forces attacked Maoists in the Abujhmad region of Chhattisgarh and killed five rebels, including two women.

They recovered automatic weapons such as AK 47 and Self-Loading Rifles from the deceased Maoists' possession. It was this operation that the jawans were returning from when the rebels targeted them.

The eight security personnel belonged to the District Reserve Guard, a specialised police unit to tackle Maoism in the state.

Visuals showed a massive crater at the spot, suggesting the intensity of the IED blast that killed the jawans.

Responding to the IED blast, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that the sacrifice of the eight jawans will not go in vain.

"I am deeply saddened by the news of the loss of DRG soldiers in an IED blast in Bijapur (Chhattisgarh). I express my deepest condolences to the families of the brave soldiers," Shah said.

Reiterating his vow to eliminate Maoists from the country by March 2026, he said: "It is impossible to express this grief in words, but I assure you that the sacrifice of our soldiers will not go in vain. We will end Maoism in India by March 2026."

The Maoist attack comes at a time when security forces are making deep inroads into the Maoist-dominated areas of Chhattisgarh and cornering the rebels.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai condemned the blast and described it as a "heinous" and "tragic" incident.

"This incident is extremely unfortunate. I pay tribute to the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives and express my heartfelt condolences to their families. A thorough investigation and assessment of this attack are underway. I assure you that the sacrifices of our soldiers will not go in vain. The government is fully committed to eradicating Naxalism," he said.