MAOISTS KILL 7 POLICE JAWAN IN DANTEWADA
RAIPUR: Seven state police jawans were killed on Sunday morning when Maoists allegedly blew up their vehicle with an improvised explosive device (IED) in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, the police said. The Maoists also looted six automatic rifles of the dead police personnel before fleeing into the jungles.
RAIPUR: Seven state police jawans were killed on Sunday morning when Maoists allegedly blew up their vehicle with an improvised explosive device (IED) in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, the police said.
The attackers also looted six automatic rifles before fleeing, they said adding that while five policemen died on the spot in the blast, two injured jawans were airlifted to Raipur where they died a few hours later.
Special director general of police (Anti-Naxal Operations) DM Awasthi confirmed the deaths, adding that the Maoists targeted a team that was escorting a truck carrying material for road construction in the area.
“For the last one year, construction of the Kirandul and Arangpur road had stopped but we have restarted it just a few days ago. The jawans were escorting a truck which was laden with building material when the Maoists targeted them at a culvert between Cholnar and Kirandul village,” said Awasthi.
“The Maoists have looted two Insas rifles, two SLRs and two AK-47 and other equipment from the spot,” Awasthi added.
The jawans who were killed in the blast have been identified as Ram Kumar Yadav (head constable), Tikeshwar Dhruve (constable), Saligraam (assistant constable), Vikram Yadav (assistant constable), Rajesh Singh (constable ), VIrendra Singh (constable) and Arjun Rajbhar (constable). In April, security forces had killed eight Maoists, including five women, in a forest in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district.
Following Sunday’s blast, joint operations to hunt down the Maoists in the area have been launched by the Sukma and Dantewada police.
“I have given instructions to both Sukma and Dantewada SPs to start operations in the jungles after the incident. We are hoping for positive results in next few hours,” claimed Awasthi.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi expressed his condolences over the deaths. “The death of six jawans in the Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh is extremely sad. My sympathies are with the bereaved family members,” he said in a tweet.
THREE MAOIST LEADERS EVADE COPS IN J’KHAND
JAMSHEDPUR: Three top Maoist commanders carrying a reward of around ₹25 lakh on their heads managed to escape security forces in Dalma Hills here on Sunday, police officials said.
Maoist commanders Ram Prasad Mardi alias Sachin, Sagar Sardar and Maharaj Pramanik were able to evade security forces which had launched an operation to arrest them following a tip-off about a meeting between two of the leaders. “We had certain information about Sachin and Sagar coming to a place in Dalma and our forces had entered Dalma Hills from Poradih jungles last night (Saturday). The operation concluded on Sunday but none could be traced,” said SeraikelaKharsawan superintendent of police (SP), Chandan Kumar Sinha.
Earlier on May 4, East Singhbhum police and the CRPF faced an encounter with a Maoist squad led by Aakash alias Aseem Mandal in the foothills of Dalma.