Chaibasa (Jharkhand) | A woman was killed and two others were injured in an IED blast in Jharkhand's West Singbhum district on Friday evening, police said.

The improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in the Saranda forest under the Jeraikela Police Station area, a senior officer said.

"A group of women had gone to the Kolbhonga area in the forest to pluck 'sial' (silk cotton tree) leaves, and somehow they stepped on the IED planted by Maoists, and the device went off," West Singhbhum Superintendent of Police Amit Renu told PTI.

One of them died while two others were injured, the SP said "The injured are being treated at the Manoharpur hospital, and their condition is reported to be stable. If the need arises, we will shift them to another hospital for better treatment," Renu said.

The SP termed this act as a "sign of desperation by the Maoists" due to the intensive combing operation being carried out against them by the security forces.