CRPF loses a canine soldier in Chhattisgarh’s anti-Naxal op

During the three-week ‘Operation Black Forest’ in Bijapur’s Karreguttalu Hills (KGH), the security forces also lost their loyal Rolo, a sniffer dog of the K9 unit of the CRPF.

As many as 31 militants were killed in the three-week encounter, while 18 jawans of the CRPF, District Reserve Guards (DRG) and Chhattisgarh Police were injured.

During this massive operation, Rolo, a two-year-old Belgian Shepherd, died in action, after being stung by a swarm of bees. It was a part of the CRPF’s K9 unit, which specialises in training sniffer dogs for tracing explosives during anti-Naxal operations.

CRPF officials said during the special operation at KGH, personnel of the K9 unit, along with other troops, were carrying out an intensive search operation when a huge swarm of honeybees sudden attacked them.

Rolo’s handlers covered it with a polythene sheet to avoid being bitten by the bees, but the effort went in vain as the huge swarm of bees slipped inside the cover and bit K9 Rolo, who then, due to intense pain and irritation, got berserk and got out of the cover, making him vulnerable to more bee stings.

Rolo ended up suffering around 200 bee stings, leaving him unconscious. The security personnel performed an immediate medical evacuation, while canine handlers administered emergency treatment.

However, it succumbed to the injuries received due to bee stings on its way to the nearest hospital and was declared brought dead by the veterinary doctor. Trained in infantry patrolling, explosive detection and assault, Rolo was deployed for anti-Naxal duties in the CRPF’s 228 Battalion in April 2024.

As reported earlier, in one of the major anti-Naxal encounters in the recent past, security forces managed to destroy a major base of ultras situated at the KGH. It was the headquarters of various Naxal organisations like PLGA Battalion 1, DKSZC, TSC, and CRC, where Naxal training, creation of strategies and weapons used to take place.

While the KGH is being sanitised by the security forces to ensure movement of locals, a total of 214 Naxal hideouts and bunkers have been destroyed in this operation, while 450 IEDs, 818 bomb grenade launcher (BGL) shells, 899 bundles of Codex, detonators and a huge amount of explosive material have been recovered during the search operations after the encounter.