Bijapur: Eight CRPF jawans were on Saturday killed when Naxals blew up a bullet-proof vehicle in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, the first major attack after the Dantewada ambush which left 76 security men dead a month ago.
The Naxalites carried out the IED blast near Pedakodepal village on NH16, 14 kms from the district headquarters in Bijapur, and fired at the security personnel, Additional Director General, Naxal Operation, Ram Niwas said.
Eight CRPF personnel of 168 Battalion, including a driver, who were travelling in a bunker vehicle from Basaguda Avapalli to Bijapur, 284 km from here, were killed while 10 others were injured, he said.
"It appears that the security personnel ignored the instruction not to travel in any kind of vehicle in the Naxal-infested areas," State Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar said.
The injured have been admitted to hospital in Jagdalpur.
Naxalites had on April 6 carried out their deadliest attack killing 76 CRPF personnel in Mukrana forests of Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh.