Chhattisgarh Naxal attack: Union Home Minister Amit Shah holds high-level security meeting

At least 22 security personnel were killed by Naxals in an encounter in Chhattisgarh on Saturday

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday evening chaired a high-level meeting on the Chhattisgarh Maoist attack in which at least 22 security personnel were killed, soon after he returned from Assam where he was conducting the election campaign.

Top officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, including Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, and Intelligence Bureau Director Arvind Kumar attended the meeting. Earlier in the day, Shah directed CRPF Director General Kuldiep Singh to rush to Chhattisgarh besides holding a telephonic discussion with Chief Minister Bhupesh Bhagel on the situation.

Read: Chhattisgarh Naxal attack: Congress calls for decisive action, slams Modi govt over deaths of 22 security personnel

Singh, who reached Chhattisgarh, said Maoists are "frustrated" because security camps have been set up in remote areas of the state and this process will be speeded up now to launch more serious operations against them. He said, "lessons are learnt" from every incident and they will analyse "what changes have been brought by the Maoist" in their strategy.

"They think that if they mount heavy casualties on us they can deter us and we may not establish new camps. But this does not happen...there have been many casualties in the past too... and as per government policy the force keeps moving forward," he added.