Paramilitary Force CRPF Commando Killed In Chhattisgarh Maoist Attack

A commando of the CRPF's jungle warfare unit CoBRA was killed on Tuesday when Maoists opened fire near a camp of the paramilitary force in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, police said.

The incident took place between 4:30 pm to 5 pm between Dabbakonta and Pentapad villages under Chintagufa police station limits where the Central Reserve Police Force had set up a camp recently, Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P told PTI.

The commando hailed from Kerala.

Personnel of the state police's District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Special Task Force were also stationed at the camp, located around 450 km from the capital Raipur, he said.

When a patrolling team was out on an area domination operation near the camp, a group of Maoists opened fire, leading to a gun battle, the IG said.

The Maoists soon fled into the dense forest, he added.

"Head constable Suleman belonging to the 202nd battalion of Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) suffered critical injuries. He was shifted to the CRPF's field hospital in nearby Bheji village where he succumbed during treatment," Sundarraj added.

The martyred head constable was a native of Palakkad district in Kerala, he added.

Additional security forces were rushed to the spot and a combing operation was underway in the nearby area, the IG added.

Earlier in the day, a CRPF constable was injured when a pressure improvised explosive device (IED), planted by suspected Maoists, went off in neighbouring Bijapur district, police said.

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