18 trucks carrying iron ore from a mine in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district were set on fire allegedly by Naxals this morning. No casualties have been reported.
A group of armed Naxals raided the Barbaspur iron ore mining site and after threatening the labourers, they torched vehicles engaged in mining work, Kanker Superintendent of Police Jitendera Singh Meena told Press Trust of India. After torching the vehicles, the Naxals fled into the forest, he said.
The attack comes within 24 hours of an ambush by over 200 Naxals in the Sukma district in which seven policemen of the Special Task Force (STF) were killed. 11 jawans were also injured in the nearly two-hour-long gun-battle on Saturday.
According to reports, a 60-strong squad of the STF had gone to Pidmel-Polampalli area in Sukma district, bordering Andhra Pradesh, on a search operation following a tip-off over the presence of Naxals. While on their way back around noon, they were reportedly attacked by over 200 heavily-armed ultras in the Dornapal-Chintagufa area.
The bodies of these STF personnel were retrieved today, over 24 hours after the gun-battle.
But one of the jawans, who was injured, told NDTV that no reinforcements arrived at the spot, adding they had to walk to the nearest CRPF camp.
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