RAIPUR, March 11 - Twelve CRPF personnel were today killed and their arms looted when Naxals ambushed their patrol party in the Maoist hotbed of Sukma in Chhattisgarh. Four personnel were also injured in the Naxal attack and two of them were stated to be critical.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed sadness over the killing of the CRPF personnel and said Home Minister Rajnath Singh will be travelling to Sukma to take stock of the situation.
The incident occurred in the dense forests near Kottacheru village under Bhejji police station, around 450 km from the state capital, at 9:15 am when 112 personnel of CRPF�s 219th battalion were out for a road opening task.
The Bhejji area in south Bastar region of the state is notorious for Naxal attacks and many security personnel have been killed there in the past.
The Naxals also looted ten weapons like INSAS and AK series assault rifles and two radio sets from the killed men, officials said.
�The troops were part of the road clearing party that has been securing an underconstruction road between Bhejji and Kottacheru. They were ambushed by Naxals who set off multiple hidden IEDs on the ground and opened fire. The squad effectively retaliated before twelve made the supreme sacrifice,� acting CRPF DG Sudeep Lakhtakia said.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman�Singh�has strongly condemned the Maoist attack describing it as a �cowardly act� and extended condolences to the bereaved families. � PTI
RAIPUR, March 11 - Twelve CRPF personnel were today killed and their arms looted when Naxals ambushed their patrol party in the Maoist hotbed of Sukma in Chhattisgarh. Four personnel were also injured in the Naxal attack and two of them were stated to be critical.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed sadness over the killing of the CRPF personnel and said Home Minister Rajnath Singh will be travelling to Sukma to take stock of the situation.
The incident occurred in the dense forests near Kottacheru village under Bhejji police station, around 450 km from the state capital, at 9:15 am when 112 personnel of CRPF�s 219th battalion were out for a road opening task.
The Bhejji area in south Bastar region of the state is notorious for Naxal attacks and many security personnel have been killed there in the past.
The Naxals also looted ten weapons like INSAS and AK series assault rifles and two radio sets from the killed men, officials said.
�The troops were part of the road clearing party that has been securing an underconstruction road between Bhejji and Kottacheru. They were ambushed by Naxals who set off multiple hidden IEDs on the ground and opened fire. The squad effectively retaliated before twelve made the supreme sacrifice,� acting CRPF DG Sudeep Lakhtakia said.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman�Singh�has strongly condemned the Maoist attack describing it as a �cowardly act� and extended condolences to the bereaved families. � PTI
