A social media post accompanying a set of images is being widely shared. The post claims that this set of images is related to the recent IED blast by Maoists near Kosronda camp in Kanker district, Chhattisgarh in which three SSB jawans were injured. Through this article, let’s fact-check the authenticity of these images.
Claim: Set of images related to the recent IED blast instigated by Maoists near Kosronda camp in Kanker district, Chhattisgarh.
Fact: These images are not related to the recent IED blast in Kanker district, Chhattisgarh. While most of the images are related to Naxal attack on jawans/police personnel in Chhattisgarh, these images are old & related to different attacks took place in different parts of Chhattisgarh over the years. Couple of images have nothing to do with Chhattisgarh. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
It is true that Maoists have carried an IED blast in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district recently on 14 January 2021, in which a Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) jawan was injured. News reports of the incident which have reported the visuals of the incident can be viewed here and here.
However, the images shared in the viral post are not related to this incident. The details of each of the images in the post is below.
Image 1 (clockwise direction):
This image dates back to 2018 when Maoists carried out an IED blast in Chhattisgarh before the assembly polls. Reverse image search of the photo led us to multiple 2018 news articles which have published the same image.
Other news articles which have published the same image back then in 2018 can be viewed here and here.
Image 2:
This image is related to a Maoist attack that happened in Odisha back in 2013. Reverse image search of the photo yielded multiple news articles which have published the same image. As per these articles, the visual is related to an incident wherein Maoists blew up a BSF vehicle in Odisha’s Koraput district.
Other news articles which reported the same image back in 2103 can be viewed here and here.
Image 3:
This photo collage shows Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) jawans injured in an IED blast instigated by the Maoists in the Narayanpur district earlier in January 2021. ANI tweeted the same images in 2021.
News article which reported the same image back then, attributing them to the Naxal IED blast can be read here.
Image 4:
Back in May 2018, Maoists have carried out a camouflaged attack on jawans in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, wherein seven jawans, providing security cover to a road construction project were killed.
ANI has also tweeted the same image back then. News reports of the incident which have published the same image can be viewed here and here.
Image 5:
Both the images of the collage are related to the same incident of IED blast instigated by Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur back in November 2018, during the elections. News reports which have published both the images can be viewed here and here.
Image 6:
Even this is an old image that dates back to March 2017. Back then, an exchange of fire took place between Maoists and the CRPF’s COBRA battalion in Chhattisgarh’s Sukuma. The news article which published the image can be read here.
To sum it up, old & unrelated images are passed off attributing them to the recent Maoist instigated IED blast in Chhattisgarh.
