3 CRPF Personnel Killed In Naxal Attack In Odisha's Nuapada, CM Expresses Grief

The deceased have been identified as Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Shishu Pal Singh hailing from Uttar Pradesh, ASI Shiv Lal from Haryana and Constable Dharmendra Kumar Singh, hailing from Bihar.

New Delhi: Three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were martyred in an ambush on a security post by Naxals in Odisha's Nuapada district on Tuesday, said police as reported by news agency PTI. The deceased have been identified as Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Shishu Pal Singh hailing from Uttar Pradesh, ASI Shiv Lal from Haryana and Constable Dharmendra Kumar Singh, hailing from Bihar. He was in the 19th Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

"Unfortunately, three jawans have attended martyrdom in Nuapada. Our senior officers are on the way to the site," Odisha's Director-General of Police SK Bansal told PTI in the evening.

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik condemned the attack and expressed condolences on the demise of the personnel. “Shocked at the unfortunate incident in Nuapada District where 3 CRPF jawans laid down their lives fighting the Maoists valiantly. My condolences to the families of the bravehearts," he said in a tweet.

Police said that the incident took place at around 2.30 pm in Patadhara protected forest area of Bheden block.

Officials said the soldiers were attacked while they were engaged in a road-opening and clearing operation. He said it was suspected that the Maoists had prior information about the activities of the security forces.

He said the Maoists attacked the jawans using indigenous barrel grenade launchers (BGLs).

"The troops retaliated forcing the Maoists to flee," a CRPF spokesperson said in New Delhi.

Officials said in Bhubaneswar that as per a preliminary report, seven jawans were on the move at the time of the incident.

Officials informed that the search operation has been intensified in the area and more teams of Special Operations Group (SOG) and CRPF are present at the spot.

Expressing his deepest condolences to the bereaved families, the DGP said that the operation would continue till the Maoists were wiped out. He said that the supreme sacrifice of the jawans would not go in vain.

The CRPF had recently said that some of its forward operation bases in Chhattisgarh were attacked using 100-150 explosive-laden devices in the last six months. These rocket-shaped indigenous devices have been named BGL by the force.

(With PTI inputs)