9 CRPF Men Killed As Maoists Blow Up Armoured Vehicle In Chhattisgarh

Nine personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force died after Maoists blew up a Mine Protection Vehicle or MPV, in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh. Two CRPF personnel were injured in the attack, which took place this afternoon in a jungle area nearly 500 km from state capital Raipur. 

The Maoists had targetted the 212 Battalion of the CRPF, which was on an area domination exercise in the forests of Kistaram. The group was on its way from Kistaram to Palodi in an anti-landmine vehicle, reported news agency Press Trust of India, quoting DM Awasthi, a senior officer of the anti-Maoist operations.

As the vehicle passed, the Maoists detonated multiple Improvised Explosive Devices, which had been concealed under the dirt track.

Several of the 11 paramilitary personnel in the vehicle died on the spot. One of the injured men died while being airlifted to Raipur for treatment.
 In the morning, around 8 am, an encounter took place in the same area between the Maoists and the elite Cobra forces, which are specially trained to tackle insurgency. The Maoists had ambushed the troops, but fled after they retaliated.

Today's attack comes just about a year after 25 CRPF personnel died in Sukma -- a notoriously backward zone where Maoist violence has held up all developmental activity. The attack, in which Maoists had planted IEDs in a similar fashion, took place on March 11, in Bheji area. Another attack took place in December, when Maoists torched 27 vehicles involved in road construction.

In a tweet today, Union minister Rajnath Singh called the deaths "deeply distressing".
 

Today's IED blast in Sukma, Chhattisgarh is deeply distressing. I bow to each and every security personnel who attained martyrdom while serving the nation.

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) March 13, 2018

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, too, tweeted from his official handle.

"The Maoist attack in Sukma, Chhattisgarh in which 9 CRPF jawans lost their lives is tragic. It reflects a deteriorating internal security situation due to flawed policies. My condolences to the families of those killed. To those who have been injured, I wish a speedy recovery," his tweet read.

His party also attacked the Central government. Party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said since the demonetisation in November 2016 -- a move the government said was aimed at controlling terror funding -- 23 major attacks by Maoists taken place. In the attacks, 97 security personnel and 121 civilians have died.