New Delhi, Dec 31 (IANS): A commando of the Central Reserve Police Force's (CRPF) elite CoBRA unit was injured in an IED blast triggered by Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Friday, officials said.

On details of the incident, the CRPF officials here said that the blast was followed by an exchange of fire between the patrol and the Maoists around 1 p.m. along the Palodi-Kistaram axis of the district.

A trooper of the 208th battalion of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) has been injured during the operation and was evacuated from the site, the officials further said.

CoBRA is the CRPF's specialised operational unit, highly trained in jungle warfare and guerrilla tactics and is considered among the best operational units against the Maoist.

A hotbed of Maoist activities, Sukma, 400 km away from state capital Raipur, is a hotbed of Maoist activities and several battalions of the CRPF have been deployed there and its adjoining areas in south Bastar.