The IED blast killed 10 District Reserve Guard personnel and a civilian driver
A day after a blast carried out by Maoists left 10 police personnel dead in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada, NDTV has accessed an exclusive video that captures the moments right after the explosion.
The video shows a policeman crawling into position before firing back at the rebels behind the blast that killed his colleagues.
The short video, shot by another policeman who had taken cover under a vehicle after the blast, also shows the site of the explosion. In the video, a voice is heard saying amid gunshots, "ud gaya, pura ud gaya" - meaning "the whole vehicle has blown up". One can also see the margins of the crater, about 10 ft deep, left behind by the blast. Towards the end of the clip, gunshots can be heard.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV, the policeman who shot the video said they were out since Tuesday for an anti-Maoist operation. They were on their way back yesterday when the blast took place, around 1.30 pm. The targeted vehicle, he said, was the third in the convoy of seven. "There were no survivors. They were all dead," he said over the phone.
The policeman said he and seven others were in an SUV right behind the one that was blown up. "Our vehicle was about 100-150 metres behind it," he said. According to security officers, vehicles in security convoys in sensitive areas maintain a gap between them to avoid mass casualties in such attacks.
At least 70 police personnel were in the convoy, it is learnt.
Asked if the Maoists were still around after the blast, the policeman replied, "When we fired in their direction, one or two rounds were fired from their side. Then the firing stopped."
The blast, caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), killed 10 District Reserve Guard personnel and a civilian driver. The District Reserve Guard comprises local tribal men trained to combat Maoists. The vehicle, a mini goods van, was hired by the security personnel.
The blast, which took place about 450 km from state capital Raipur, is the biggest Maoist strike in Chhattisgarh in the past two years.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said the fight against Maoists was in its final phase and that the rebels will not be spared. Expressing his condolences, he said the sacrifice of the policemen will not be in vain. "Action will be taken against the Naxals involved in this. Those who want to surrender should surrender. Our jawans are continuously fighting the Naxals," Mr Baghel said today.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah termed the attack "cowardly" and assured every help to the state government. "Anguished by the cowardly attack on the Chhattisgarh police at Dantewada. Have spoken to Chhattisgarh's Chief Minister and assured all possible assistance to the state government. My condolences to the bereaved family members of the martyred Jawans," he tweeted.
In the aftermath of the attack, several questions have been raised regarding glaring security lapses.
No road-opening patrol sanitised the route that the convoy took. A road-opening patrol usually consists of a small, nimble team that checks a route for a possible ambush and clears other threats ahead of the main convoy's arrival.
Also, the NDTV found during a visit to the site that huge pits had been dug on both sides of the road, apparently as part of a road construction project. These pits can be used to plant IEDs, making security personnel easy targets for the rebels.