Chhattisgarh Maoist Attack: Martyrs' toll rises to 23 with 25 Naxal deaths, Home Minister Amit Shah to visit Sukma-Bijapur

Raipur, Apr 5: The number of security personnel martyred in the Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh has rose to 23, after the recovery of 21 more bodies from the bordering area of Sukma and Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh on Apr 4. The bodies of martyred personnel were found and retrieved after additional forces launched a search operation at the site of encounter.

 

 

 

The site of encounter has been identified in the forests of Tarrem, close to the inter-district border of Sukma and Bijapur in the Bastar division, where earlier bodies of two jawans were recovered. Among the martyred, 8 personnel belonged to the Cobra Battalion of CRPF, 8 Jawans of District Reserve Guard, 6 Jawans of Special Task Force and one Jawan of Bastaria Battalion.

 

 

Besides, 28 other jawans of various security forces were injured in the encounter. The critically injured 13 jawans have been airlifted to capital Raipur for better treatment. The ambush took place on Apr 4, when a large contingent of security forces was on an anti-Maoist operation following a specific intelligence input about the presence of a large number of Maoist cadres in the area. Maoists ambushed the jawans leading to a fierce encounter that continued for several hours.

 

 

 

 

According to the recent update from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be visiting the site where Naxals attacked security personnel at the Sukma-Bijapur border in Chhattisgarh. The Minister will also be meeting the injured jawans at the hospital. Regarding the developments against Naxalites after the unfortunate incident, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has said that operations against Naxals would continue and the work of establishing camps in Naxal-affected areas would be completed in an expedited manner. The Chief Minister said, "Our jawans were martyred in the fight, but they fought courageously. I bow to their martyrdom."

 

 

 

 

At the same time, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced ex-gratia amount of Rs 50 lakh for the family of Head Constable Raj Kumar Yadav, who lost his life in the Naxal attack of Sukma-Bijapur. The Director-General of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Kuldiep Singh, who is in Chhattisgarh to monitor the situation following the attack, said that there was absolutely no intelligence or operational failure in the operation. Singh also informed that around 25-30 Naxals were also killed even though the exact number is yet to be ascertained.