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Raipur, Aug. 19: Over 120 Maoists today laid an ambush in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region and killed nine police jawans in a landmine blast followed by heavy firing.
An hour after the 4.30pm encounter, the rebels launched a second ambush on a rescue party of 45 jawans. This time, four Maoists were gunned down.
“A team of jawans was returning to the Bhadrakali base camp after a routine operation when Maoists attacked the party,” a senior police officer said in Raipur, which is 550km north of the encounter spot in Bijapur district.
Some reports said the 14 jawans were on their way back from the town of Bhopalpatnam to their base camp, 30km away, after dropping rations when they were ambushed in the forested area. The jawans were on a tractor-trolley that was first blown up by the landmine. Immediately after the explosion, the Maoists opened fire.
Ramniwas, the additional director-general of police (anti-Maoist operations), said over 120 Maoists were involved in the attack. “In the landmine blast, three jawans and the driver of the trolley were killed.”
The other six jawans were hit by bullets and succumbed to injuries before reaching hospital, he said.
In Maoist-infested areas, security forces are instructed not to hire civilian vehicles. They are also told to patrol on foot as much as possible and always take a new route on their return trip.
Five jawans who survived the attack are in a primary health centre in the Bhadrakali camp. Their injuries are said to be serious.
An hour after the attack, a team of 45 jawans patrolling the area reached the spot after getting wireless alerts. The Maoists fired at them too, but this time four of the rebels were shot dead. Police sources said their bodies have been found.
Chief minister Raman Singh called a meeting late tonight at his residence to take stock of the situation.
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