CRPF jawan killed in encounter with Naxals

A jawan of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was on Thursday killed when Maoists ambushed a search party of security personnel in Chhattisgarh’s south Bastar district of Bijapur.

The Naxal attack came when a joint search party comprising jawans of CRPF’s 151st battalion and 204th battalion of CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) was cordoning off a Maoist camp in forested village of Jerapalli under Pamed police station at around four in the morning, a

■ The Naxal attack came when a joint search party comprising jawans of CRPF’s 151st battalion and 204th battalion of CoBRA was cordoning off a Maoist camp in forested village of Jerapalli

senior police officer posted in Bastar told this newspaper.

A gun battle between them ensued in which a CRPF jawan, identified as Kamta Prasad, was injured.

He succumbed to injury while being shifted to Cherla hospital in neighbouring

Telangana.

“Constable Kamta Prasad, belonging to CRPF’s 151st battalion, received bullet injuries in the skirmish. He later succumbed to injuries while being shifted to Cherla Hospital in neighbouring Telangana,” the police officer said.

The 30-year-old jawan had joined the CRPF in 2011. He hailed from Kaushambi district of Uttar Pradesh.

In another incident, a CRPF jawan was injured in an accidental firing on Thursday.

The incident took place in the camp of CRPF’s 217th battalion in Konta in south Bastar district of Sukma.