Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel meeting injured jawan
Team News Riveting
Raipur, April 4
Terming the Bijapur incident as a “battle” and not an encounter, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that the jawans showed exemplary courage and fought the Naxalites inflicting a major casualty.
Baghel cut short his Assam election campaign and reached the state capital Sunday evening. A fierce gun battle between the security personnel and Naxalites in Bijapur on Saturday-Sunday left 22 jawans dead and 31 injured. He visited the hospitals and met the recuperating jawans to boost their morale.
“The anti-naxal operations would continue and the work of establishing more camps in affected areas would be completed at an accelerated pace,” the Chief Minister said. “Our jawans were martyred in the battle; they fought courageously. I bow to their martyrdom,” he added.
He said that the security forces were highly-motivated and determined to win the battle against Naxalites. They are taking on the rebels in their den. The Bijapur incident had caused huge damage to the Naxalites, Baghel said, adding that they had received information that the rebels had carried the bodies and injured four tractors. He said that in the battle that went on for four hours, security forces entered inside the Naxal stronghold and gave a befitting reply even after coming under heavy attack as rebels used mortars, grenades and light machine guns.
The Chief Minister said the Naxalites were losing ground rapidly and were now confined to a very limited area in the state. In a desperate and panic attempt, they were trying to make their presence felt through such violent incidents, Baghel added.
