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12 CRPF jawans killed in red rage
In one of the deadliest attacks on security forces, 12 CRPF personnel were on Saturday killed and their arms looted when Naxals ambushed their patrol party in the Maoist hotbed of Sukma in Chhattisgarh. Four personnel were also injured in the attack, two of whom are stated to be critical.
Kothagudem: In one of the deadliest attacks on security forces, 12 CRPF personnel were on Saturday killed and their arms looted when Naxals ambushed their patrol party in the Maoist hotbed of Sukma in Chhattisgarh. Four personnel were also injured in the attack, two of whom are stated to be critical.
The incident occurred at 9.15 am in the dense forests near Kottacheru village under Bhejji police station in Chhattisgarh State, when 112 personnel of CRPF's 219th battalion were out for a road opening task.
This is the biggest attack by Naxals on security forces this year. It is estimated that a hundred-plus Maoist squad was present in the area when the ambush was launched. The Bhejji area in south Bastar region of the state is notorious for Naxal attacks and many security personnel have been killed here in the past.
It is considered as the last bastion of the red ultras as the area sits right on the tri-junction of Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The Naxals looted ten weapons, including six INSAS rifles, four AK-47s, a light machine gun, 1,587 bullet rounds, an under-barrel grenade launcher, a 51mm mortar, two para bombs and two radio sets from the killed men, officials said.
According to police, Multiple blasts were triggered and firing was opened by Maoists. The squad retaliated before eleven men made the supreme sacrifice. One of the personnel later succumbed to his injuries," the police said.
A report said two Maoists also died in the exchange of fire that ensued after the blast. The Maoists fled the scene along with 10 rifles of the policemen and two of their walkie-talkie sets.
The deceased were identified as the Inspector Jagjeet Singh, Assistant Sub-Inspectors HB Bhat and Narendra Kumar Singh, head constables PR Minde, Jagadish Prasad Vishnoy, constables Mangeshpal Pandey, Rampal Singh Yadav, Gorakhnath, Nandakumar Patra, Satishkumar Verma, K Sankar and Suresh Kumar. Two other constables – Jayadev Vermanik and Salim – sustained injuries in the incident. The injured were taken to the government hospital in Raipur by helicopter.
It may be recalled that 16 CRPF personnel were killed in a major incident of the Maoist violence that had happened in December, 2015 at Kasalapadu under Chintaguppa police station limits in Sukuma district.
