25 CRPF jawans die in Maoist ambush
300 rebels attack patrol party at road work
Around 300 Maoists, armed with sophisticated weapons, on Monday mounted a deadly attack on a CRPF patrol party guarding road workers in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district, leaving 25 jawans dead and a dozen others wounded.
This was the biggest strike on security forces by Maoists in Bastar — one of the worst-hit regions by Left-wing extremism in the country — since April 6, 2010 when 76 CRPF personnel were massacred in Sukma.
At least eight CRPF personnel, including a commander-rank officer, were missing in Monday’s attack that took place at Burkapal village in Dornapal block of the district at 12.55 pm.
Bastar DIG P. Sunder Raj said, “We are still awaiting detailed report (of the encounter).”
A CRPF spokesman at Raipur told this newspaper that the Maoists also looted some weapons of the slain jawans.
The 12 injured jawans — four of them critical — were evacuated from the encounter site by choppers and brought to Raipur for treatment.
Reinforcements, including CoBRA commandos of the CRPF and its other units, have been rushed to the scene from the nearest camp of the paramilitary force, officials said.
The CRPF jawans of the 74th battalion were conducting an area domination
The attack is cowardly & deplorable. We are proud of the valour of our @crpfindia personnel. The sacrifice of the martyrs will not go in vain. — NARENDRA MODI,
Prime Minister
operation to provide security to workers engaged in the construction of a seven-km road when the Maoists ambushed them.
All the troops belonged to the 74th battalion of the force deployed in the area for antiMaoist operations.
Reinforcements have been rushed from the nearest CRPF camp
12 personnel of the CRPF were killed on March 12 in Sukma by Naxals
Around 300 Maoists, armed with sophisticated weapons, on Monday mounted a deadly attack on a CRPF patrol party guarding road workers in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district, leaving 25 jawans dead and a dozen others wounded.
Police sources said 99 CRPF jawans had been divided into two groups. The first group leading the area domination operation suffered the maximum casualties. The second group walked into the ambush when it tried to come to the rescue of those trapped.
“We had left our camp at Burkapal in the morning. We noticed some villagers were tracking us all through the route. Later, around 300-350 Maoists, including women cadres, attacked us from all sides. We soon regrouped and returned the fire,” injured CRPF constable S.K. Mohmmad said.
“The guerrillas were armed with sophisticated weapons such as AK 47, SLR and Insas assault rifles,” he said.
Police sources said that the Naxals even used under-barrel grenade launchers, looted from security forces.