Maoists kill 14 CRPF personnel in C’garh

Attack comes a day after CM said State would be Naxal-free

• Two officers among the dead
• Maoists use villagers as human shields
• Attack at 10.30 am in dense forests
• Security personnel returning after combing operation
• Second attack at the same place in 10 days

Raipur: Using human shields, Maoists on Monday killed 14 CRPF personnel, including two officers, and injured an equal number in the second attack on the force in 10 days in the same area in the Maoist hotbed of Sukma district in Chhattisgarh.

A senior Chhattisgarh police official said the attack on a CRPF squad by a large group of armed Naxals took place near Chintagufa, about 450 km from here, at 10.30 am in the dense forests in south Bastar region when the security personnel were returning to their camp after combing and area domination operation in the region that lasted for several days.

The two officers were identified as Deputy Commandant B S Verma and Assistant Commandant Rajesh. The squad comprised personnel from the 223 and 206 battalions of CRPF and its commando unit CoBRA.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh strongly condemned the attack as an act of cowardice and a "dastardly act" of violence. He will visit Chhattisgarh on Tuesday for an assessment of the situation. He also spoke to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and asked him to monitor the situation. Incidentally, five CRPF personnel were injured on November 21 in the same area in an encounter with Maoists who also attacked an IAF helicopter. An IAF commando was also injured.

The attack came a day after Chief Minister Raman Singh said the day is not far when Chhattisgarh will become "Naxal-free" due to the joint efforts of the State Government and the Centre.