Maoists massacre 26 CRPF troopers
raipur — Hundreds of Maoists on Monday ambushed and massacred at least 26 CRPF personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district in the bloodiest attack this year.
The Central Reserve Police Force said the deadly ambush took place at 12.30pm when its 74th Battalion reached a forested area in Kala Pathar near Chintagufa.
CRPF’s Deputy Inspector General M. Dinakaran said 11 bodies were first recovered and a 12th trooper succumbed to his injuries in a hospital here. A subsequent search of the area led to 13 more bodies. A trooper who survived the horror said about 300 Maoists surprised the paramilitary personnel when they were readying for lunch.
The guerrillas, who were in hiding, opened indiscriminate fire and lobbed hand grenades too, taking the CRPF by surprise.
The CRPF personnel were helping a Road Opening Party when they came under attack.
The ambush triggered a major gun battle between the Maoists and the CRPF.
The six troopers who were wounded and have been warded in hospitals include Assistant SubInspector R.P. Hembram and Constables Swaroop Kumar, Mohinder Singh, Jitendra Kumar, Sher Mohammed and Latoo Oraon.
Mohammed and Oraon were said to be out of danger. “The injured were evacuated by helicopter,” Dinakaran said. “Our party was deployed for road opening to provide security to road construction activities.” Security forces have launched a major search operation. Monday’s killings forced
We are proud of the valour of our CRPF personnel. The sacrifice of the martyrs will not go in vain... Condolences to their families. May those injured in (the) attack recover at the earliest. PM Narendra Modi
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh to cut short his trip to Delhi where he had gone to attend a NITI Aayog meeting and fly back to Raipur.
The insurgents, who say they are inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, have been fighting for more than three decades in central and eastern India, staging hit-and-run attacks to press their demand for a greater share of wealth and more jobs for the poor.
Last month, the rebels killed 12 paramilitary soldiers in an ambush in the region. In 2010, 76 Central Reserve Police Force soldiers were killed in the Dantewada region in the state in a similar attack by the rebels. — IANS, AP