JOIN USIn all, seven persons fell victim to the latest Maoist attack. It is for the first time that the rebels have targeted the ITBP jawans, who have been deployed in Chattsigarh’s Rajnandgaon district.
According to Gadchiroli DySP Vijay Chaple, the three ITBP jawans had come to Savargaon, which is just 3 km from the inter-state border, to buy provisions and were returning to their post.
The Naxals triggered a powerful landmine blast under the the ITBP vehicle killing three jawans instantly. The jeep blew up several meters away. The ITBP jawans have been identified as Dilip, Dinesh and Shibu. One personnel also sustained injuries in the blast.
Incidentally, newly appointed CRPF Director-General K Vijay Kumar is on a two-day visit to Chhattisgarh at the moment taking stock of the situation in the state where 14 companies of CRPF are already deployed in anti-Naxal operations, particularly in the hyper-sensitive areas of the Bastar division.
The ITBP team was on a area-domination mission in the district and had crossed over to Maharashtra’s Savargaon. Soon after the blast, the ITBP reinforcement came rushing to the scene and a heavy exchange of fire ensued between them and the Maoists, who were hiding in the houses. The residential area made it difficult for the security forces to use fire power.
During the encounter, Maoists also threw a hand-grenade which exploded on the road. The splinters from the grenade hit children in an Ashram school located in the vicinity. Two children died on the spot while a woman cook and a caretaker too fell for the splinters, DySP Chaple told Deccan Herald. The identity of the children has not been ascertained.
Ten children and some school staff were injured in the grenade attack. They have been admitted in to two hospitals.