25 CRPF MEN KILLED IN NAXAL ENCOUNTER IN CHHATTISGARH

RAIPUR: At least 25 CRPF personnel were killed and six wounded in Chhattisgarh''s Sukma district on Monday, the deadliest attack by naxalites targeting security forces this year. The jawans from the 74th battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force, including an Inspector-rank officer, were out for road opening task and came under heavy fire.

An injured CRPF personnel being brought to Raipur for treatment on Monday follwoing a Maoist attack in Bastar, Chhattisgarh. PTI

Raipur, April 24

At least 25 CRPF personnel were killed and six wounded in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Monday, the deadliest attack by naxalites targeting security forces this year.

The naxalites mounted the assault around 12.25 pm in Kalapathar area of south Bastar region, one of the worst-hit by Left-wing extremism in the country.

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The area is close to the Chintagufa-Burkapal-Bheji axis, the hotbed of naxal violence which has seen a number of such attacks in the past resulting in high casualties.

Read: 3-lakh-strong CRPF without regular chief for nearly two months

"As per the latest report, we have lost 25 men. We are still to account for all the personnel and a search is on.

About 7-8 boys are still missing. The last word on the encounter will come once the entire area has been searched and all troops contacted," a senior CRPF officer said, adding the paramilitary patrol was about 99 personnel-strong.

An injured jawan, Sher Mohammed, said, “First, Naxals sent villagers to trace our location, then almost 300 of them attacked us. We also opened fired and killed many.”

First Naxals sent villagers to trace our location, then almost 300 Naxals attacked us. We also fired and killed many: CRPF's Sher Mohammed pic.twitter.com/myrI62i959
— ANI (@ANI_news) April 24, 2017

The incident occurred near Burkapal village within Chintagufa police station limits, Sukma Additional Superintendent of Police Jitendra Shukla told PTI.

While 11 bodies were recovered first, 12 were found during combing operations. A jawan succumbed to injuries while being evacuated by air, the officer added.

Sourav Malik, another personnel who was injured in the attack, said the patrol came under sudden fire from Maoist rebels.

CRPF officials said the ambush set up by the naxals was as deadly as the one on March 11 in Bheji area of the same district where 12 personnel lost their lives.

Read more: 12 CRPF men killed in Naxal attack

It is understood that the company commander, an Inspector rank officer leading the contingent which was ambushed today, was also killed.

The officer said the CRPF patrol, like in the Bheji incident, was sanitising the area where a road is being laid between Burkapal and Jagargunda, when the assault happened.

The naxals were believed to have also looted over a dozen weapons of the slain personnel, the officer said.

All the troops belonged to the 74th battalion of the force depolyed in the area for anti-Maoist operations. "We are proud of the valour of our CRPF personnel. The sacrifice of the martyrs will not go in vain," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.

Attack on @crpfindia personnel in Chhattisgarh is cowardly & deplorable. We are monitoring the situation closely.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 24, 2017

We are proud of the valour of our @crpfindia personnel. The sacrifice of the martyrs will not go in vain. Condolences to their families.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 24, 2017

Reinforcements, including CoBRA commandos of the CRPF and its other units, have been rushed to the scene from the nearest camp of the paramilitary force, the officer added.

The incident comes at a time when the country's largest paramilitary force is without a full-time chief after K Durga Prasad retired on February 28. — Agencies