At least 16 killed in Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh

Victims include 15 security personnel and a civilian

On Tuesday, Naxalites killed 15 security personnel and a civilian in the restive Bastar region near Tongpal in Chhattisgarh. The incident took place just four km from the spot where rebels had targeted a convoy of Congress leaders in May 2013, killing key party functionaries.

Acting on a tip-off about the presence of a large number of Naxalites in the area, a team of 40 troopers from the 80th battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Chhattisgarh police left Tongpal on a search operation on Tuesday. When the team reached Takwada, about three km from Tongpal, it came under heavy fire.

“The rebels had taken position near the spot and opened indiscriminate fire once the jawans reached at around 9.30 am,” said Inspector General of Police G P Singh said.

He added the jawans didn’t get room to take position and retaliate. The road the jawans had taken intersected a huge plain and the rebels had taken position under the cover of trees. Experts felt the attack was a warning call ahead of the general elections. “The state elections in Chhattisgarh were comparatively violent,” one said, adding the rebels would try to make their presence felt ahead of the coming elections.

Singh said there were reports of 16 casualties. Besides 11 CRPF jawans, four security personnel from the state police cadre and a civilian (a motor mechanic passing through the route), were killed in the attack, he added. The encounter continued till 11.30 am. About half a dozen jawans were injured in the incident; three critically wounded jawans were airlifted to Raipur for better medical care.

The rebels fled once reinforcement from nearby centres reached the spot. They also took away the weapons and wireless sets of the jawans.

The ambush was meticulously planned — to prevent the movement of reinforcement, another team of rebels had set three trucks on fire about three km from the spot.