Chhattisgarh: 6 security personnel injured in encounter with naxals

Seventeen security personnel were gunned down by Maoists in Chhattisgarh in one of the deadliest ambushes in recent years.

The bodies of the 17 personnel, who were missing after an encounter in Sukma district, were found on Sunday, police said.

"The bodies were recovered by a search team and were being evacuated from forests," said Sundarraj P, Inspector General of Police (Bastar range).

Earlier on Saturday, in a joint offensive, separate teams of 600 personnel from the District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force and Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) — an elite unit of the CRPF, had launched an anti-Naxal operation towards Elmagunda after getting inputs about a huge gathering of ultras there. When the teams were near Minpa forests, around 250 heavily-armed ultras ambushed them, leaving 15 personnel injured.

"Later, 17 personnel were found to be missing and a search operation was launched. Today (Sunday), their bodies were recovered," he said.

The toll was the worst for Indian security forces battling Maoists since April 2017, when 25 police commandos were killed in the same district.