Chhattisgarh: Naxals blow up police vehicle in Dantewada, 7 security personnel killed

Seven Chhattisgarh police personnel were killed and two others injured when Naxals blew up their vehicle with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district on Sunday.

Representational Image/ Courtesy: PTI

RAIPUR: Seven Chhattisgarh police personnel were killed when Naxals blew up their vehicle with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district on Sunday. Police said the Naxals triggered the blast between Cholnar and Kirandul villages when a joint team of the Chhattisagarh Armed Force and the District Force, in an SUV, was escorting a vehicle carrying material for road construction work.

Naxals are against development and they usually target our soldiers. We will strongly retaliate against such incidents: Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh on Dantewada IED blast in which 6 jawans lost their lives. pic.twitter.com/MPyBehEZeU

— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2018

Among those killed, four personnel belonging to the Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) and Three to the District Force (DF). Naxals looted six automatic weapons -- two AK-47s and as many INSAS and self-loading rifles -- of the deceased personnel. Reinforcement was rushed to the spot soon after the incident.

It is a sad incident where 6 jawans were killed in an IED blast in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada. The naxals targeted the jawans by planting IED rather than fighting them face to face: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Madhya Pradesh's Satna pic.twitter.com/uT9BDYuhEC

— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2018

Inspector General of Police (Bastar) Vivekanand Sinha said: "We have sounded a high alert in the area and launched a search operation for the Naxalites." Road construction work is underway between Kirandul and Palnar villages in Dantewada. (With inputs from agencies)