Chhattisgarh: 10 Cops Killed In Maoist Attack In Dantewada

Ten police personnel and a goods van driver were killed in an explosion orchestrated by suspected Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada on Wednesday.

At least 10 police personnel and a goods van driver were killed in an explosion orchestrated by suspected Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada on Wednesday. The area is around 450 km from state capital Raipur. Maoists blew up a goods minivan, in which the security personnel were travelling by using an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), police sources said.

The attack comes a day after Inspector General of Police of Bastar Range Sundarraj P said that More than 400 Maoist cadres are surrendering every year. “On average, more than 400 Maoist cadres are surrendering every year. A special campaign named “Lone Varratu” has been conducted in District Dantewada for this purpose and results are great,” Sundarraj P was quoted as saying by ANI on Tuesday.

After the attack on Wednesday, Sundarraj said that the bodies are being evacuated from the spot and a search for the Maoists is on. The deceased were identified as: head constable Joga Sodhi, head constable Munna Ram Kadti, head constable Santosh Tamo, constable Dulgo Mandavi, constable Lakhmu Markam, constable Joga Kawasi, constable Hariram Mandavi, gopaniya sainiks Raju Ram Kartan, Jairam Podiam, and Jagadish Kawasi.

Wednesday's attack was the second such incident in as many weeks in Chhattisgarh. A DRG jawan was injured in a similar attack in Bijapur on April 17.

Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel said the team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), aspecial branch of the Chhattisgarh police to combat Maoists, was on an anti-naxal operation in the area. "The news of the martyrdom of our 10 DRG jawans and a driver due to IED blast on the DRG force which had arrived for anti-Naxal operation on the information of the presence of Maoist cadre under Aranpur police station area of Dantewada is very sad. The people of the state pay our respects to them. We all share in the grief of their families. May their souls rest in peace," he tweeted.

Baghel also apprised Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the situation. Shah has assured all possible help to Baghel.

Last week, the Chhattisgarh Police downed a Maoist cadre in an encounter and arrested two in the Bastar district on April 18. The same day, Congress MLA Vikram Mandavi's convoy was fired upon by Maoists, but he managed to escape the attack.

Two days later, A Chhattisgarh Police jawan was critically injured in an IED explosion in the insurgency-hit Bijapur district.