Naxalites attack 2 cops, flee with their weapons in Chhattisgarh's Sukma

Two Chhattisgarh Police constables were injured when Naxalites, dressed as civilians, attacked them with sharp weapons at a weekly market in the insurgency-hit Sukma district on Sunday morning, an official said.

Naxalites also took away the service rifles of the two personnel following the incident which took place when the police were deployed on security duty at the market in Jagargunda village, he said.

A small 'action team' of Naxalites (typically comprising four-five cadres) suddenly attacked the two constables -- Kartam Deva and Sodhi Kanna -- with sharp edged weapons and then escaped after looting their Insas rifles, the police official said.

Other security personnel deployed there swung into action and launched a search for the attackers, he said.

Both the injured constables, posted at Jagargunda police station, were initially admitted to a local hospital. They were later airlifted to Raipur and admitted to a private hospital in the state capital, the official said.

Naxalites, dressed as civilians, have several times in the past targeted security personnel at the weekly markets in Bastar division, comprising seven districts including Sukma.