JOIN USAnother CRPF personnel, who was injured in the Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Monday, said the patrol came under sudden fire from the guerrillas.
The CRPF trooper has been identified as Sourav Malik.
CRPF officials said the ambush set up by the Maoists was as deadly as the one on March 11 in Bheji area of the same district, where 12 personnel lost their lives.
An officer said the CRPF patrol, like in the Bheji incident, was sanitising the area where a road is being laid between Burkapal and Jagargunda, when the assault happened. It is also said the Maoists looted over a dozen weapons of the slain personnel, the CRPF officer said.
All the troops belonged to the 74th battalion of the force deployed in the area for anti-Maoist operations.
President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack.
“Strongly condemn attack on CRPF personnel in Chhattisgarh; condolences to families of deceased and prayers for injured,” the president said in a tweet.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh said he was saddened by the attack and was sending Minister of State Hansraj Ahir to Chhattisgarh to take stock of the situation. “Extremely pained to know about the killing of CRPF personnel in Sukma. My tributes to the martyrs and condolences to their families,” Singh tweeted.
Ahir will be accompanied by Praveen Vashisht, Joint Secretary (Naxal Management) in the Home Ministry, and acting CRPF Director General Sudeep Lakhtakia.