Team News Riveting
Jagdalpur, March 23
A road opening party allegedly failed to discover three powerful landmines that went off tossing a bus carrying security personnel, killing five and injuring over a dozen in Chhattisgarh’s restive Narayanpur district Tuesday evening.
The incident took place at around 4 pm today between Kanhargaon and Kadenar villages under Dhaudai police station, about 300 km from the state capital of Chhattisgarh. This was the first major Maoist attack in the year, literally, after the COVID-19 induced lockdown.
According to police officials, about 25 security personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) boarded the bus and were returning to the district headquarters of Narayanpur. The personnel were part of a joint team that had launched an anti-insurgency operation on the inter-district border.
On the Barsoor-Palli road, which is under construction and is of strategic importance, the rebels ambushed the bus between Kanhargaon and Kadenar villages. They triggered three powerful blasts that blew up the bus several feet high before plunging into the culvert.
“Five DRG personnel, including the driver, were killed in the explosion,” Inspector General of Police P Sunderraj said. Thirteen personnel were injured in the incident, he said, adding that they were airlifted by Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper to the state capital for better medical care.
Reports reaching said that the security forces had conducted a road opening and search operation on the road but failed to discover the landmines. The senior officials said the probe would reveal how the explosives could not be detected.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel condemned the incident and termed it an act of frustration of the Maoists as they were losing ground following incessant operations by the security forces. The operations would further intensify, he added.
The DRG personnel had been in the target of rebels. Being the frontline anti-Maoists force of Chhattisgarh police, the DRG personnel are lethal for rebels as they are drawn from local population and are aware of the terrains and tactics.
On March 21, 2020, 17 security personnel, including 12 from DRG, were killed when rebels ambushed a party in Sukma district.
