Team News Riveting
Raipur, April 3
The Maoist guerrillas today ambushed a party of security personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district and killed five jawans including elite commandos special anti-Naxal wing of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
Of the casualties, one belonged to the elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action unit (CoBRA) while two were recruits in Bastariya battalion—a unit raised by the CRPF engaging local youths of Bastar for anti-insurgency operations. Both are elite units of the para-military force raised to combat Left Wing Extremism in the country.
The other two jawans belonged to District Reserve Guard (DRG), a unit of Chhattisgarh police that had employed local youths to take on Maoists in the terrains they were familiar with.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (anti-Naxal operations) O P Pal informed that a joint team of CRPF, DRG and State Task Force (STF) yesterday conducted an operation against the Maoists in the area. The rebels had laid a trap and ambushed the party near Tekulgudam village in Tarrem area of restive Bijapur district.
The jawans immediately took the position and retaliated. The gun battle lasted for over three hours, Pal said, adding that a heavy casualty was also inflicted on Maoists. The search party discovered the body of a woman rebel from the spot.
Pal said five jawans were martyred while 12 others were injured in the encounter. Before the reinforcement could reach, rebels slipped into the forests.
The battalions involving the local youths had been under the target of rebels. For, the warriors had posed a serious challenge to the rebels as they are acquainted with the terrains helpful for operations and are also well informed about the strategies of the Maoists. This was the second major attack in the last 10 days.
On March 23, five DRG personnel were killed when Naxals blew up a bus carrying the security personnel by detonating landmines in Narayanpur district.
