5 killed in third day of Maoist violence

Rebels use powerful bomb to blow up anti-landmine vehicle; state oppn furious as toll goes up to 13

RAIPUR: Five security personnel were killed and seven injured on Monday after armed Maoists blew up a military vehicle in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, in the fourth rebel attack in three days in the strife-torn Bastar zone.

Armed guerrillas triggered a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) carrying over 50 kg of explosives that tossed an antilandmine vehicle carrying eleven jawans of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force in the air, police said.

The Maoists fled into a jungle after blowing up the ill-fated vehicle that was engaged in a search and road-opening operation in the region, officials added. Dantewada superintendent of police Kamal Lochan Kashyap, who confirmed the incident to HT, has rushed to the spot.

Hours earlier, a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was killed in an exchange of fire with rebels in the state’s insurgency-hit Kanker district.

This is the latest in a string of attacks in the state that have been tactically undertaken by the Red brigade. In the last three days, rebels have targeted security forces in Kanker and Dantewada districts that are separated by about 200 km.

On Saturday, seven jawans of the special task force were killed at Pidmel in Sukma district. Ten personnel were injured in the incident. The next day, Maoists torched 18 vehicles engaged in mining work in Kanker district, 140 km from Raipur. However, no one was hurt in the strike.

The Opposition blamed the government for the recent spate of attacks and said the Raman Singh regime hadn’t learnt from previ- ous mistakes. “The resources provided to the state government and huge forces allotted to the state are not being effectively utilised. The anti-Maoist approach should be reviewed”, former chief minister Ajit Jogi said.