12 CRPF personnel lost their lives and six were injured in a deadly encounter with naxalites in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Monday.
The encounter took place at around 12.25pm between the Burkapal-Chintagufa area in south Bastar, one of the worst Maoist violence-affected region in the state.
Six CRPF troops are said to be critically injured and efforts are on to evacuate them to safety.
The jawans are from the 74th battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and were deployed in the area for anti-Maoist operations.
“The incident took place when the road opening party of the 74th battalion of CRPF were out on patrol at Burkapal near Chintagufa. The jawans were deployed for security at an under construction road. The maoists ambushed CRPF personnel and started indiscriminate firing, leaving eleven jawans dead and seven severely injured, including an inspector,” said Jitendra Shukla, additional superintendent of police, Sukma.
One of the wounded jawans later succumbed to his injuries
While reinforcement from the nearest CRPF camp had rushed to the spot soon after the incident, the injured were being airlifted to Raipur for treatment, Shukla added.
All weapons, wireless and complete ammunition belonging to the 12 martyred jawans were looted by the Maoists.
In light of the attack, Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh has cancelled his engagements in Delhi and rushed to Raipur, where he will hold an emergency meeting later in the day.
Bastar inspector general Vivekanand Sinha and deputy inspector general Sunderraj have left for Sukma to take stock of the situation.
Twelve personnel of the CRPF were killed in the same district early this year in a deadly Naxal ambush.
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