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Updated: Mar 13, 2018 23:52 IST

Maoists ambushed and killed nine Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers and injured three in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Tuesday, serving a chilling reminder that their annual tactical counteroffensive campaign (TCOC) against security forces is underway.

The CPI(Maoist) conducts its TCOC against security personnel from March to June every year, trying to inflict maximum damage during this period.

The troopers were travelling from Kistaram to Palodi camp in Sukma when they came under attack. Sukma SP Abhishek Meena had passed by the spot of the attack just before it happened, although it isn’t clear whether he was the target.

According to CRPF chief RR Bhatnagar, who has reached Chhattisgarh to take stock of the situation, the SP was to visit the forward camp at Palodi. “Around half a dozen advance parties of the CRPF’s CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) units on foot and motorcycle had gone ahead; Maoists tried to ambush some of these parties but they ran away after return of fire at around 8am,” he said.

The site of the IED blast in Sukma. ( ANI Twitter )

The SP’s convoy, which passed by the same area at 12.30pm, included two Mine Protected Vehicles or MPVs. The first passed unscathed; the second, carrying the troopers, was attacked. “The MPV that was carrying troopers coming back from leave was targeted at 12.30pm with a powerful landmine blast which ripped the vehicle apart,” said Bhatnagar.

“The quantity of explosives used in the blast and whether the troopers travelling in the MPV had tied seat belts, which could have helped them to withstand the impact of blast, is a matter of investigation,” added Bhatnagar.

CRPF officials admit the MPV’s usefulness is limited in Maoist areas where insurgents use improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) with explosives up to 70-80 kg.

“We have around 300 MPVs deployed in Maoists areas, Jammu and Kashmir and North-Eastern states. Most of them are manufactured at the Jabalpur ordinance factory. Older MPVs could withstand blasts of IEDs up to 20kg explosives but the newer lot has a threshold limit of withstanding blasts of IEDs up to 40kg. The MPV that was targeted today was from the newer lot,” said a CRPF official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

India salutes the brave @crpfindia personnel who were martyred in the attack in Sukma, Chhattisgarh.



My thoughts are with the families and friends of the brave martyrs. The nation stands shoulder to shoulder with them in this hour of grief. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 13, 2018

Former CRPF chief K Durga Prasad, who has considerable experience of dealing with Maoists, says the MPVs have certain disadvantages: they can be spotted from afar and they are heavy and slow.

“The best way to travel in Maoist areas is by foot,” said Prasad.

CRPF officials said the distance between Kistaram and Palodi camps is around five kms.

“But since there was tight security due to the visit of SP, the troopers coming from leave were sent with the same convoy in an MPV,” said the CRPF official quoted above.

The Chhattisgarh police remained tightlipped on how the Maoists managed to inflict such casualties despite security forces having their guard up in view of the TCOC.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh expressed his condolences to the families of the slain troopers. “Today’s IED blast in Sukma Chhattisgarh is deeply distressing. I bow to each and every security personnel who attained martyrdom while serving the nation,” he tweeted.

Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh condemned the “cowardly and shameful” attack and said Maoists were afraid development work in Bastar region (which includes Sukma) would put an end to their activities.

Sukma in south Chhattisgarh, about 480km from state capital Raipur, is prone to attacks by insurgents and has seen decades of bloody conflict between security forces and Left-wing extremists.

On March 11, 2017, suspected Maoists ambushed a CRPF road-opening team and killed 12 troopers in Sukma. A month later, the rebels killed 24 CRPF troopers near Burkapal in the district.

An intelligence official tracking left-wing extremism in Chhattisgarh said recent joint operations of the state police in collaboration with their Telangana counterparts have rattled Maoist leaders. “They carried out this attack to avenge death of the cadre in those encounters,” the official added, asking not to be named.

On March 2, commando force Greyhounds killed 10 Maoists in an encounter in the forests of Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, bordering Telangana. A Greyhound constable also died in the encounter.

First Published: Mar 13, 2018 14:20 IST</s>At least nine personnel of the 212 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed and two injured in a powerful IED blast by Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Tuesday. Personnel were conducting an area-domination operation in a forest in the Kistaram area when their mine-protected vehicle (MPV) was reportedly blown up, possibly by several explosives.

According to official sources, the casualties are likely to rise. The injured personnel are being airlifted to Raipur.

Last April, in the biggest Maoist attack on CRPF personnel in Chhattisgarh in the last seven years, 25 jawans were killed and six injured in an ambush in the Burkapal area of Sukma. According to officials, personnel from the 74th Battalion of CRPF were ambushed after emerging from their camp to secure an under-construction road in the area.</s>Raipur: Eight personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed when suspected Maoists blew up their mine-protected vehicle (MPV) in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district today, an official said. Some jawans were also reported to be injured in the explosion, but there was no official confirmation yet, he said. The blast occurred when a team of CRPF’s 212th battalion was patrolling in a forest in Kistaram area of Sukma, located around 500 kms from here, a paramilitary official told PTI.

“Eight paramilitary personnel, belonging to the 212th battalion, were killed in the blast,” he said. The security men were conducting an area-domination operation in the forest of Kistaram when the Maoists blew up the CRPF’s mine-protected vehicle, he said. The rebels used a lot of explosives to blow up the vehicle, the official said. Soon after the incident, reinforcement was rushed to the spot, he said, adding that further details were awaited.</s>The blast occurred when a team of CRPF's 212th battalion was patrolling in a forest in Kistaram area of Sukma. (Representational Image)

Raipur: Nine personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed and few others were injured when suspected Maoists blew up their mine-protected vehicle (MPV) in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Tuesday, an official said.

The blast occurred when a team of CRPF's 212th battalion was patrolling in a forest in Kistaram area of Sukma, located around 500 kms from Raipur, a paramilitary official told news agency PTI.

The security men were conducting an area-domination operation in the forest of Kistaram when the Maoists blew up the CRPF's mine-protected vehicle, he said.

The rebels used a lot of explosives to blow up the vehicle, the official said. Soon after the incident, reinforcement was rushed to the spot, he said, adding that further details were awaited.

The attack comes almost 11 months after 25 CRPF jawans were killed by a gang of nearly 300 Naxals at a construction site in Sukma.

Then Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu had termed the attack as a “classic case of mindless killing”.

12 jawans of the CRPF were killed in the same district in March last year.

However, state Home Minister Ramsewak Paikra told the state Legislative Assembly in February that as many as 300 Naxals were reportedly killed in separate encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh in the last two years.</s>Raipur/New Delhi: Nine CRPF personnel were today killed after suspected Naxals blew up their mine-protected vehicle in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma, around a year after a dozen jawans were killed in a similar ambush in the district.

Officials said the incident took place around 12:30 PM along the Kistaram-Palodi road of the district when the troops of the 212th battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were out on an operation.

At least nine men have been killed, while two other jawans suffered injuries after the mine-protected vehicle was blown up by multiple improvised explosive devices (IEDs) concealed under the dirt track, a senior official said. The injured personnel are being airlifted to Raipur, they said.

The rebels used a lot of explosives to blow up the vehicle, a state police official said.

Soon after the incident, reinforcements were rushed to the spot, around 500 kms from state capital Raipur, he said, adding further details were awaited. Officials added that the first encounter between the two sides took place at 8 am and later this contingent was targeted by the Maoists.

Twelve personnel of the force were killed on March 11 last year in the Bheji area of the district and their arms looted, when Naxals ambushed their patrol party. A few days later on April 24, twenty-five personnel of the paramilitary were killed in a similar ambush in Sukma.</s>NEW DELHI: Nine CRPF personnel were martyred and 10 others injured todaywhen their Mine Protected Vehicle (MPV) blew up in the restive Sukma district of Chhattisgarh 's Bastar division.Four of the injured personnel are said to be in critical condition.The attack took place in Kistaram when the personnel were out on a combing operation on the MPV. The team of CRPF jawans of thw 212 battalion was targeted by rebels who used heavy explosives to blow up the vehicle and had triggered several IEDs, police officials said confirming that nine personnel were killed in the blast."In an ongoing operation in Sukma District, an encounter took place with Naxals around 8 am on Tuesday. Seeing the response of 208 CoBRA naxals initially fled away," said CRPF spokesperson Moses Dinakaran." Again at about 12:30 pm Naxals targeted another team of 212 battalion CRPF in between Kistaram and Palodi in Sukma in which a Mine Protection Vehicle was blown of by triggering IED. As per information received 9 CRPF personnel attained martyrdom and 3 are injured. Injured personnel are being evacuated by helicopter to Raipur," he added.Today's attack comes almost 11 days after security personnel killed 10 alleged Naxalites in the state. It also comes six months afterin one of the deadliest attacks by Maoist rebels, or Naxalites. Earlier last year in March, 12 CRPF personnel of a road opening party were ambushed in Sukma.Still, security forces have had some success deaing with such attacks. As many as 300 Naxals were reportedly killed in separate encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh in the last two years, said state home minister Ramsewak Paikra to the state Legislative Assembly last month.Earlier this month, the CRPF for the first time set up three permanent camps in the Maoist hotbed of Abujhmadh forests in Chhattisgarh to launch 'surgical' operations against the ultras, a year after it lost 37 personnel in two ambushes, reported PTI.The paramilitary force, along with contingents of the state police, has set up three bases in the dense and remote jungles of the 4,000 sq km region which essentially means 'abujh' (unknown) and 'madh' (hill).Till now, the security forces used to undertake patrols inside the Abujhmadh jungle area in the Bastar region, camp there for few days and come back as they had no support system to stay in the jungle for long.To make their presence felt in the area, the first camp, identified as 'P', has been established in close vicinity of the Indravati river.Officials privy to the development said the strength of each camp was about 100 personnel.The camps have been created as part of the 'Operation Madh' (Abujhmadh) being carried out by the CRPF and other security forces for the last few years to target Naxal cadres who hide or move in this area.(With inputs from agencies)</s>At least nine CRPF personnel were killed and two injured in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Tuesday, in one of the deadliest attacks by the Maoist rebels on security forces this year

Security personnel inspect the site of an IED blast where nine CRPF personnel were killed and two more were injured after Maoists ambushed them in Kistaram area of Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district. Pic/AFP

At least nine CRPF personnel were killed and two injured in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Tuesday, in one of the deadliest attacks by the Maoist rebels on security forces this year. The incident took place around 12.30 p.m. when the Maoists blew up an anti-landmine vehicle of Central Reserve Police Force's (CRPF) 212 Battalion along the 5-km under-construction Kistaram-Palodi road by using an over 50 kg Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

The blast was followed by a heavy exchange of fire between the security forces and the Maoists in which the rebels also suffered a severe blow, said Inspector General of Police, Bastar, Vivekanand Sinha. The CRPF personnel were on routine patrolling and going towards a newly-opened post in Palodi in Kishtaram when the Maoists set off the IED. The attack came about a year after dozens of CRPF personnel were killed in similar ambush in Sukma district.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh termed the incident "deeply distressing" and asked the CRPF Director General Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar to go to the site. "Today's IED blast in Sukma, Chhattisgarh is deeply distressing. I bow to each and every security personnel who attained martyrdom while serving the nation. My heartfelt condolences to the families of those personnel who lost their lives in Sukma blast.

"I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured jawans. I spoke to DG @crpfindia regarding the Sukma incident and asked him to leave for Chhattisgarh," Rajnath Singh said in a tweet. The Home Minister spoke to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh who briefed him about the incident, and steps taken for the treatment of the injured CRPF personnel. Raman Singh also condemned the attack and sought a full report over the incident.

Meanwhile, Congress President Rahul Gandhi said the attack on CRPF troops reflected a deteriorating internal security situation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. "The Maoist attack in Sukma, Chhattisgarh in which 9 CRPF jawans lost their lives is tragic. It reflects a deteriorating internal security situation due to flawed policies," tweeted Gandhi.

"My condolences to the families of those killed. To those who have been injured, I wish a speedy recovery," he added. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also expressed her deep sadness over the attack and extended her condolences to their families. "Deeply saddened at the news coming from Sukma. Lives of at least nine CRPF jawans lost. My heartfelt homage to all the martyrs. Strength to their families. Jai Hind," she tweeted.

Those killed in the incident have been identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector Ramakrishna Singh Tomar, Head Constable Laxman and Constables Ajay Kumar Yadav, Manoranjan Lenka, Jitendra Singh, Sobit Kumar Sharma, Manoj Kumar Singh, Dharmendra Yadav and Chandra H.S. The injured are Madan Kumar and Rajesh Kumar.

CRPF's Deputy Inspector General M. Dinakaran said an shootout took place between the CRPF and the Maoist in Sukma around 8 a.m. on Tuesday but the Left-wing ultras fled after the force retaliated. "Again at 12.30 p.m. the Maoists targeted another team of 212 CRPF Battalion. Our 11 troopers were travelling in an anti-landmine vehicle when the Maoist blew up an IED," Dinakaran said.

The injured troopers airlifted to Raipur, he said, adding a large force has been sent to the spot to find out if there was more landmines in the area. The attack took place around three km away from a CRPF camp. This is the third major incident in the area in the past one year. Twelve CRPF personnel were killed on March 11 last year in the Bheji area of Sukma district when the Maoists ambushed their patrol party. Later, a group of over 300 Maoists on April 24 again attacked a CRPF road opening party in the district, killing twenty-five personnel of the paramilitary force.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever</s>Eight personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force’s 212 battalion were killed and six injured in the Kistaram region of Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Tuesday, ANI reported. Of the injured personnel, four are in critical condition.

The security forces were carrying out search operations in the area when suspected Maoists detonated three explosives and started firing on the paramilitary soldiers, The Hindu reported. The rebels, who had earlier in the morning fired at the paramilitary force’s Cobra battalion, reportedly blew up the mine-protected vehicle the soldiers were travelling in. The incident reportedly took place at 12.30 pm.

This incident comes a week after two Border Security Force personnel were killed in the state’s Rowghat area and a former police constable was shot dead in Sukma. The attacks on the security forces have gone up since a joint team of the Telangana and Chattisgarh Police killed 12 suspected Maoists in Dantewada district’s Pukari Kanker region on March 2.</s>New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday expressed condolence over the death of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, who were killed in a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Chhattisgarh.

Nine personnel of the 212 Battalion of the CRPF were killed and two were severely injured in the IED blast, allegedly carried out by Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district earlier today.

Rajnath took to Twitter and said, “My heartfelt condolences to the families of those personnel who lost their lives in Sukma blast. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured jawans. I spoke to DG @crpfindia regarding the Sukma incident and asked him to leave for Chhattisgarh”. (sic)

Rajnath, in his second tweet, said, “Today’s IED blast in Sukma, Chhattisgarh is deeply distressing. I bow to each and every security personnel who attained martyrdom while serving the nation”.

The incident took place when CRPF jawans were conducting an operation in a forest in the district when the blast took place, ripping apart their mine-protected vehicle (MPV).

 More details are awaited.</s>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday saluted the CRPF personnel, who were killed in a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday saluted the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, who were killed in a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district.

Nine personnel of the 212 Battalion of the CRPF were killed and one is severely injured in the IED blast, allegedly carried out by Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district earlier on Tuesday.

Modi took to Twitter and said "India salutes the brave @crpfindia personnel who were martyred in the attack in Sukma, Chhattisgarh. My thoughts are with the families and friends of the brave martyrs. The nation stands shoulder to shoulder with them in this hour of grief". (sic)

Earlier on Monday, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also expressed grief over the death of CRPF personnel while Congress president Rahul Gandhi termed the attack "tragic" and blamed "flawed policies" of the government for the incident.

The incident took place when CRPF jawans were conducting an operation in a forest in the district when the blast took place, ripping apart their mine-protected vehicle (MPV).
Maoists blow up a mine-protected vehicle of CRPF personnel with an IED, killing at least nine and injuring two others in Sukma district, Chhattisgarh, India.