We will kill 50 Maoists in revenge: Survivor
A CRPF trooper who survived Monday’s attack said on Tuesday that 50 insurgents would be killed in revenge.
Constable Mahendra Kumar, warded in a hospital here, said he himself would go back to Sukma, once he recovers.
With his head bandaged, Kumar said from the hospital bed that the contingent was in a forested patch to give security to workers engaged in building a road. “Suddenly firing began from our left,” he said. “From nowhere 30 to 40 Maoists emerged and began firing.
“When we began retaliatory firing, they split into two or three groups and scattered in three directions. One group went to our front, got into a pit that had been dug up and resumed firing. The others took us on from both the left and right side.” Kumar felt that 25 to 30 Maoists were injured in the counter firing .
Other CRPF troopers who escaped the massacre had similar tales.
There is no surprise element. Many know when ROPs move
Only 25% of the force is on a road, the rest move alongside, away from sight. If there is a hill or ditch in the middle of a jungle, it becomes difficult to move. Maoists consider such places best to mount an ambush
Due to presence of iron ore it makes it difficult for mine detectors to work
In summers, Maoists plant pressure bombs beneath trees to target security personnel looking to catch their breath
Maoists see lunch time as an opportunity to strike because staff often gather around a tree to have food together and unwind
There is a problem of water in many camps in summer. Many personnel rarely take bath
There is no telephone signal at many places and troopers feel stressed when they are unable to speak to their families
It is a very difficult job for the security personnel because they are out in the sun in very difficult conditions. Unlike in most combing operations, they don’t get the cover of night
It is a monotonous job with no rewards. A personnel may save many lives by detecting bombs, but one slip means the entire fault is their. It is like a goalkeeper’s job
Mosquitoes are a perpetual problem.