Tag: CRPF

  • Amid Covid-19 surge, security forces witness five-fold jump in cases in last 10 days

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Paramilitary forces have almost witnessed five-fold increase in active COVID-19 cases in the last 10 days. On April 5, jawans who had tested positive for the virus in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) were 522 while now the tally goes up to 2,915.

    Apart from this, the total infected jawans who were tested positive in last 24 hours have also increased more than five times. Fifty seven jawans were tested positive on April 5, which now increased to 301 on the 10th day (Thursday).

    According to the data, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Border Security Force (BSF) have seen the highest spike in number of COVID cases.

    The BSF, which had only 20 cases on April 5 has seen a massive spike and on April 15 it witnessed 117 cases in the last 24 hours.

    The total number of active cases in BSF stands at 1,850 which was 166 on 10 days back.

    Similarly, CRPF which were witnessing four to five cases per day in first week of April has seen massive spike. On April 5, 97 jawans had been tested positive for the virus. The total active cases in CRPF has almost doubled.

    Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which was looking after the COVID centre built in Chhatarpur area of Delhi has also witnessed spike in cases.

    ALSO WATCH:

    In a last 10 days, total number of COVID infected jawans have been increased from 29 to 126.

    Situation in other para military forces is also getting bad. CISF which guards Delhi metro and Airports of the country has seen two folds in total number of cases.

    Similarly, SSB has seen spike from 19 cases to 86 active cases by April 15.

    NSG has better situation as only 10 cases are active and no cases have been reported in last 24 hours.

    It is likely that from Monday, paramilitary forces will reduce its staff upto 50 per cent from coming to office and senior officers may be asked to come in staggered timings.

    Ministry of Home Affairs in the latest written communication on yesterday has already said that all officers who attend office can stagger timings with entry into the office spread between 9 am to 10 am with corresponding office exit timings. This will also avoid the rush in commuting, as also in lifts and corridors.

    Up to the Under-Secretary level, officers are allowed to work from home up to a minimum restricted attendance but above Under-Secretary there is no exemption from coming from the office. (ANI)

  • ‘BJP’s CRPF’ harassing people, preventing voters from entering booths, alleges CM Mamata Banerjee

    By PTI
    BANESWAR: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday alleged that “BJP’s CRPF” was harassing and killing people besides obstructing voters from entering polling stations in the state at the behest of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

    Addressing a rally here in Cooch Behar district, she accused a section of the central force of molesting women and beating people during the ongoing assembly elections.

    Launching a blistering attack on Shah, the TMC surpremo charged him with failing to protect lives of the security personnel in naxal ambush in Sukma and earlier in terrorists attack in Pulwama and instead seeking votes in other states for his party BJP.

    Banerjee facing a stiff challenge from the saffron party in the ongoing Bengal elections appealed to the voters to ensure more than 200 seats for the TMC “or else the BJP will bribe the ‘traitors’ of my party to crossover to their side”.

    Polls are taking place for 294-member Bengal house.

    “The ‘BJP’s CRPF’ is beating women, harassing and killing people. They are obstructing voters from entering polling booths and to cast their votes. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has instructed them to do so.

    “I have never given such orders to the police being the home minister (of West Bengal),” Banerjee said at the rally.

    ALSO READ | BJP to win 63-68 seats in first three phases of polling in Bengal: Amit Shah

    Continuing with her tirade against the cental force, she said “I respect the CRPF. But, I do not have respect for those among them who are working at the behest of the BJP. The CRPF should not obstruct the public from casting their votes.”

    Referring to death of 22 security personnel in naxal attack in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma-Bijapur three days back, she asked what steps have been taken for those who lost their lives? She said that instead of doing anything for those killed in the attack, Shah was asking electors (in different states having elections) to vote for his party.

    “You (Shah) failed to protect lives of your policemen in Pulwama and in Sukma. What has the government done for those killed in Sukna? On one side they are killing people and on another side you are asking voters to cast vote to your party. You should be ashamed of doing so,” she said taking a swipe at the union home minister.

    Claiming that more than 10 people have been killed in the state during the ongoing polls, Banerjee urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure that the CRPF personnel play a responsible role and no such killing take place in the forthcoming five phases.

    ALSO READ | I will win Bengal with one leg and Delhi with two: Mamata Banerjee

    “More than 10 people have been murdered. This never happened during my time. We all want peaceful polling so that people can cast their vote. We want peaceful, free and fair elections.

    “The ECI is running the administration. Please see that nobody is murdered and I will also request you to please see that the CRPF, CISF, BSF or ITBP don’t harass the people. Nobody is allowed to harass the people and women,” she said.

    A schoolgirl was allegedly molested by a central force police personnel in Tarakeswar Monday following which the EC had removed him from duty.

    A probe is on in the matter.

    “Several cases of molestation of girls by the central forces personnel have surfaced.

    Why are they (central forces) molesting girls? Complaints have been lodged and I will request you (EC) to please take care of that also,” she said.

    Referring to Tuesday’s incident when party’s Arambagh candidate Sujata Mondal was chased in an open field by people wielding bamboo sticks and iron rods and then hitting her on the head with sticks, the CM alleged that some senior police officers have entered into an “understanding” (with the BJP).

    She said activities of such policemen were under the scanner.

    “Lower-rank policemen have nothing to do. It’s those in the higher ranks who have entered into an understanding with them. I have realised this during yesterday’s polling in Arambagh (where party candidate Sujata Mondal was allegedly attacked).

    “I have also noticed role of Officer-in-charge of Arambagh police station. We are keeping an eye on such things,” she said.

    Five candidates, including two women, were assaulted, while clashes between rival political groups erupted during the third phase of polling in the state on Tuesday.

    Cautioning the voters not to trust the policemen, Banerjee advised them to put up resistance in groups if prevented by the CRPF from going to polling stations to cast their votes.

    “Do not trust the police because during the elections they have been influenced by the BJP.

    If needed form groups and gheraoe them and keep them busy in talking, while others will quickly go and cast their votes,” she suggested.

    “I will win wherever I contest from. But, you (voters) will have to ensure we get over 200 seats to protect democracy, or the BJP will use their money power to buy traitors,” she said.

    Earlier, speaking in the same rally, urging voters to vote for party candidate Binay Krishna Barman in Cooch Behar Uttar (SC) constituency, Banerjee hit out at the BJP, stating they were befooling people in the name of implementing Citizens Amendment Act (CAA) and National Registers of Citizens (NRC).

    She alleged that if the BJP is voted to power in Bengal they will put people in detention camps like the 14 lakh Bengalis in Assam.

    “All these promises of the BJP are false. They will never implement them. And if you vote for you will be put in detention camps like the 14 lakh Bengalis in Assam,” she said.

    The CM further accused the BJP of spreading misinformation about raising a Narayani Sena central paramilitary force after the polls citing an unverified RTI reply by the Centre.

    The demand for Narayani Sena has been a long-standing demand of the Rajbanshi community in north Bengal.

  • Maoists in Chhattisgarh release image of abducted CoBRA commando

    Express News Service
    RAIPUR: The outlawed Maoists have released an image of the abducted jawan Rakeshwar Singh Manhas of the CoBRA battalion — an elite jungle warfare unit of the CRPF — on Wednesday indicating that he is safe in their custody.

    The rebels on Tuesday had expressed their willingness for negotiation had sought that a mediator is appointed by the government to secure the jawan’s release.

    ALSO READ: Police seek activist’s help to free captured CoBRA commando

    Earlier a caller who identified himself as a Maoist leader had contacted some journalists in south Bastar claiming that the detained Cobra jawan is “safe and will not be harmed” in their confinement.

    The missing jawan is in the captivity of the Maoists after the Bijapur ambush that killed 22 troopers, in south Chhattisgarh on Saturday.

  • Chhattisgarh encounter: Seven-month pregnant wife of slain jawan hasn’t informed about her husband’s death

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: The villages of two CRPF jawans of the CoBRA battalion sunk into gloom and tears as the news of their martyrdom reached them on late Sunday evening.

    The two jawans were among 23 CRPF personnel who were killed in a Maoist ambush in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Saturday. 

    The bodies of the two jawans — Raj Kumar Yadav, 45, of Ranoapali village in Ayodhya and Dharamdev Kumar, 32, of Thekahan Bada Gaon in Shahabganj of Chandauli district of eastern UP, were likely to arrive anytime on Monday night.

    Both Yadav and Kumar were deployed as constable and head constable in the CoBRA 210 unit of the CRPF. 

    Raj Kumar is survived by his two sons and wife Gyanmati.

    His mother Sumitra Devi is suffering from cancer.

    His wife and mother only came to know about his death when the villagers gathered outside their house. Both fell unconscious as soon as they were informed.

    A pall of gloom was also descended on the village of Dharamdev.

    Anand Kumar, younger brother of Dharamdev who was inconsolable, told the media that Dharamdev’s wife Meena Devi was seven months pregnant.

    “We have not been able to muster the courage to tell her about the tragedy,” he said.

  • Sukma encounter: Naxals first targeted officers leading operation, likely received info from locals

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Naxals, who attacked and ambushed security force personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma on Saturday, first targeted officers leading the operation against them which led to some coordination issues, sources said.

    They also said that the helicopter was requisitioned by security force personnel when they saw heavy firing from Naxals but it could not land in its first attempt. It landed at a designated area around 4 pm on Saturday which helped the rescue operation.

    ALSO READ | Naxals may have abducted missing jawan in Bijapur, says CRPF sources

    Sources said senior CRPF officers including Inspector General (IG) (Operations) and Additional Director General (ADG) had gone to Chhattisgarh from Delhi to plan a big operation in the second week of March after the forces got input about the location of Madvi Hidma, a top Naxal of banned CPI (Maoist), around Bijapur-Sukma border area.

    Top officers of CRPF as well as local police along with senior Security advisor of MHA K Vijay Kumar spent weeks in Chhattisgarh to plan the operation.

    The officer, who led the operation was second in command (2IC) of a battalion, and he has been injured in heaving firing by Naxals. A deputy commandant of CRPF got severely injured in the operation.

    From the DRG (District Reserve Guard), a sub-inspector-level official headed the team and it suffered the maximum casualties.

    The operation started on April 2 night with the participation of almost 400 personnel of central and state police forces.

    ALSO READ | Attack will be avenged, says Shah; cops to submit report to MHA on Monday

    They walked for almost 20 kilometres late at night on April 2 and were exhausted by the next morning as they reached an open area.

    Sources said that Naxals, who were following them from several kilometres, started firing at them at around 10 am on April 3.

    “After seeing very heavy firing, the first panic call was made around 10 am to send a helicopter for rescue and reinforcement. But the chopper couldn’t get a place to land and left. Around 4 pm, the chopper came again and it managed to land at a predefined place which helped in rescue operations,” a senior CRPF official told ANI.

    “Coordination was an issue since senior-most level DRG official was targeted by Naxals initially during the attack. At the beginning of the encounter, Naxals targeted seniormost officers of the forces which caused coordination issues,” a source said.

    Sources also said there is a possibility that Naxals may have got inputs about the movement of security force personnel from locals.

    Naxals, who were following troops, targeted them at a place where they had domination. Sources also hinted that locals also played a role in helping the Naxals but it is yet to be established.

    MP Nathanael, a former IG of CRPF, said there was a failure at the planning stage.”There is certainly lapses at the level of planning. This operation could have planned keeping in mind heat and other topographical factors,” IG said.

    ALSO READ | Ambush comes two weeks after peace talk call from Naxals

    Security personnel were ambushed near Jonnaguda village around noon in the encounter that broke out between security forces and Naxals along the Sukma-Bijapur border.

    At least 22 security personnel lost their lives in the attack. Around 31 sustained injuries in the encounter, Chhattisgarh Police said.

    Director-General of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Kuldiep Singh, who is in Chhattisgarh to monitor the situation following the attack, on Sunday said that there was no intelligence or operational failure in the operation. 

  • ‘Please, release my father’, appeals daughter of CoBRA commando kidnapped by Naxals

    By PTI
    JAMMU: “Please, release my father”, pleaded five-year-old Shragvi, the daughter of a CoBRA commando held hostage by Naxals after an ambush in Chhattisgarh.

    This is all a sobbing Shragvi could utter as she wiped away her tears.

    The family of Commando Rakeshwar Singh Minhas was in deep shock after the news of the deadly ambush on Saturday and his disappearance broke out.

    At least 22 security personnel were killed in the attack on the CoBRA battalion of CRPF by the Naxals who claimed that they had abducted Minhas after the ambush.

    “We came to know about the attack and that he went missing during action from news channels.

    Nobody from the government or the CRPF informed us about the incident,” Meenu, the wife of Minhas, told reporters at her residence in Barnai area on Jammu-Akhnoor road.

    She said she made frantic efforts to reach out to the CRPF headquarters in Jammu to know the whereabouts of Minhas.

    “I was told that there is nothing we can share with you. Once we get a clear picture, we will come to you,” Meenu said as having been told by the CRPF officers.

    With her daughter in her lap who also pleaded for the safe return of her father, she said an officer also visited her house and repeated the assurance.

    She said Minhas had not picked up the phone since “we talked for the last time” on Friday at 9.30 pm when he was leaving for duty.

    Meenu said it was the government’s duty to ensure his safe return to his family.

    “My husband served the country for the last 10 years and now it is the turn of the government to ensure that he returns to us hale and hearty,” she said surrounded by relatives who were there to support the family through the ordeal.

    “Minhas joined the CRPF in 2011 and he has been serving the nation for the last 10 years.

    He was transferred to Chhattisgarh only three months back from Assam,” she said, holding back her tears.

    “I got a telephone call from a person who introduced himself as a local reporter from Chhattisgarh. He wanted me to send a picture of my husband along with an appeal to the Naxals,” Meenu said.

    However, she did not respond to his calls after discussing the matter with her family.

    Meenu appealed to Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to take up the matter with the Union government and urge the prime minister and home minister for his safe return.

  • Chhattisgarh gunfight: Using tough terrain, Maoists repeat the rerun of 2010 Dantewada attack

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI/RAIPUR: A group of around 200 Maoists silently observed the movement of the team of CRPF and state police soldiers for nearly a day before identifying the more isolated group of 150 and then attacked them with all their might, killing 22 soldiers on the spot and injuring 35 more soldiers, in what is the biggest blow to the security forces since the April 2017 Burkapal attack.

    Given that the modus operandi in Saturday’s encounter appears to be the same as that employed in the 2017 Burkapal attack or the 2010 Dantewada attack – in which the armed guerrillas isolate and attack a party of soldiers returning from an area domination exercise, when they are already out on the field for over 24 hours and vulnerable due to exhaustion – questions are likely to be raised about the learnings of the forces from their past brushes with the Maoists.

    ALSO READ | Chhattisgarh encounter: Attack will be avenged, says Shah; Cops to submit report to MHA on Monday

    According to highly placed sources, despite the best efforts of search parties, one soldier is still untraceable. “The possibility of him being captured alive by the Maoists cannot be ruled out,” a highly placed source told the New Indian Express. The missing soldier belongs to the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, sources told New Indian Express.

    Gunfight in tough terrain led to high casualty

    The twenty-two personnel who were killed in the fierce gunfight on April 3, include eight each from the elite Cobra battalion of CRPF and District Reserve Guards (DRG), six belonged to Chhattisgarh’s Special Task Force (STF) and one from the CRPF’s Bastariya Battalion. While the number of casualties on the side of Maoists couldn’t be established, one body of a Maoist leader with an INSAS rifle was recovered. She has been identified as Madavi Vanoja, believed to be the commander of the Local Guerilla Squad (LGS) of Pamed area, with an INSAS, was recovered by the forces.

    “Our aggressive anti-Maoist operations will continue with the renewed strategy. As per our information, the naxals too had suffered heavy casualties and our sources revealed they carried their dead on four tractors”, said Ashok Juneja, Director General (anti-Maoist operation).

    The officials informed that the troopers were attacked by the Maoists with UBGL rocket launcher and indiscriminate firing by LMG and other weapons, while they were returning from the operations. It took almost 24 hours for the reinforcements pressed into rescue operation to cautiously tread and reach the ground zero of the encounter site near the villages of Jonaguda and Tekalgudam, close to the Silger forested landscape on Sunday.

    Based on an intelligence input a massive operation to attack an assembly of Maoist leadership was launched on Friday, April 2. After combing through the Sukma-Bijapur border as the forces were returning from a different route, the Maoists are believed to have isolated the group of 150 personnel, whom they had been following through the day, and rained bullets on them.

    “Since the terrain is tough, once firing is opened from any side, pushing in reinforcement becomes tough since you don’t know the strength and position of your enemy right away and you want to avoid friendly fire at all costs. In such situations your training and your instinct are your only support systems,” said a highly placed police official.

    The armed guerrillas have been repeatedly employing this modus operandi of hiding till the last moment, as security forces are returning from an operation – when they are most vulnerable, and then launching the attack on the most vulnerable group of the armed forces. “They continue to engage the forces over a period of time, till our personnel’s ammunition runs out. That’s when they launch the all-out attack,” the official added.

    Most recently this modus operandi was seen in the attack the Maoists carried out in Burkapal in April 2017 when they killed 25 CRPF soldiers.

    The most feared group of CPI(Maoist), the PLGA battalion number 1, which comprises of nearly 100-150 armed and most experienced guerrillas led by Hidma, is believed to have led the attack. This group is believed to have been behind every major attack on security forces in the last two decades, including the 2010 Tadmetla attack in which 76 CRPF soldiers were killed and the 2013 Darbha valley attack in which 27 people including Congress’ entire state leadership were massacred.

    “This period from April [in which the Tadmetla and Burkapal attacks happened] and May [2013 attack], till the onset of monsoon, is the period when Maoists are most active. This period is what they refer to as Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign or TCOC,” a source in the state’s intelligence department told New Indian Express.

    The source added that the Maoists, who had been using the period of lockdown to regroup themselves, launched the attack this year for two reasons. “One is that since 2017 Burkapal incident, they really had carried out no large-scale operation. They were desperate to carry out a large attack, which helps them in increasing recruitment and re-stocking their ammunition, which they snatch from our personnel.”

    ALSO READ | Chhattisgarh encounter: Ambush comes two weeks after peace talk call from Naxals

    The second and more pressing reason was pure desperation because of the substantial increase in the number of camps established in the region dominated by the Maoists.

    “We have been using the past few years to really ramp up our network of camps in the area. For instance this attack happened near our recently set up camp at Tarrem, which is our forward base and which has allowed us easy access into launching ops in their heartland. Slowly we have begun to bifurcate and even trifurcate their areas of influence. Moving around for them has become quite difficult. So this is their desperate bid to push against our growing influence,” a senior intelligence official said.

  • Chhattisgarh encounter: Death toll rises to eight, 21 security men still missing; Shah speaks with Baghel

    Express News Service
    RAIPUR: The casualty figure of the troopers engaged in the fierce gun battle with the militant battalion of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) on Saturday has risen to eight with 21 personnel still missing in the inhospitable Silger forested landscape of strife-torn Bijapur district, about 400 km south of Raipur. 

    With one team of security forces involved in the intelligence-based operation yet to return, the reinforcements have been rushed to the area and the search operation further intensified.

    The Bastar police stated the death toll had increased to 8.

    Meanwhile CRPF DG Kuldiep Singh reached Raipur on Sunday morning and confirmed that 21 jawans are still missing after the encounter.

    According to the information reaching the state capital, the search operations are being carried out cautiously by the backup force though they are yet to reach at the ground zero where the intense exchange of fire ensued for over three hours.

    ALSO READ | 21 jawans still missing after Maoist ambush: CRPF DG Kuldiep Singh amid fear of high death toll

    On Friday night, on the authentic tip-off over the major movement of the Maoists, the planned anti-Maoist operations were undertaken by various parties of the forces along the Bijapur-Sukma border from three different directions in the conflict zone of Bastar.

    A gunfight resulted between one of the teams and the armed guerrilla rebels who reportedly ambushed the troopers near Tarrem  in Bijapur district. The Maoists carried out the attack when the forces were returning after the operation on Saturday noon.

    The Bijapur incident was the second major Maoist attack inflicting the casualties on the forces during the last ten days in the conflict zone of Bastar.

    On March 23, five personnel of district reserve guards (DRG) were killed and over a dozen injured in a series of powerful improvised explosive device (IED) blasts triggered by the Maoists who targeted a bus carrying jawans in Narayanpur district.

    Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday spoke to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and took stock of the situation, officials said.

    Shah also directed Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Kuldiep Singh to visit Chhattisgarh to asses the situation.

    The home minister spoke to the Chhattisgarh chief minister and took stock of the situation arising after the encounter, a home ministry official said.

    The chief minister is believed to have briefed the home minister about the steps taken by the state government after the incident, another official said.

    ALSO READ | BJP slams Baghel for continuing campaign in Assam despite Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh

    Earlier, Shah said in a tweet that the valour of the security personnel who laid down their lives fighting the extremists will never be forgotten.

    The home minister also said that the government will continue its fight against such enemies of peace and progress.

    Baghel, while briefing Shah about the encounter, said the Naxals have indulged in such acts of violence just to show their presence as people are getting disillusioned with the Maoists ideology and that the extremists will be defeated.

    A Chhattisgarh government spokesperson said the chief minister told the home minister that the morale of the security forces is high and they will win against the Naxals in this fight.

    Shah too said that the battle against the Naxals will definitely be won as it will be fought together by the central and state governments, the spokesperson said.

    The chief minister told the home minister that people are disillusioned with the Maoist ideology due to the development works being carried out by the state government with regards to health, education and other areas even in far off places.

    As a result, the Naxals are indulging in such violent acts to show their presence, he said.

    Baghel said the state government is not scared of such acts of violence and has resolved to carry forward its development works in every village of the state.

    “I bow to the sacrifices of our brave security personnel martyred while fighting Maoists in Chhattisgarh. Nation will never forget their valour. My condolences are with their families. We will continue our fight against these enemies of peace & progress. May injured recover soon,” he said.

    (With PTI Inputs)

  • 21 jawans still missing after Maoist ambush: CRPF DG Kuldiep Singh amid fear of high death toll

    Express News Service
    RAIPUR: Amid fear on the death toll of the security personnel trapped in Maoist ambush likely to rise further, the CRPF director general Kuldiep Singh arrived in Chhattisgarh on Sunday and will proceed to the conflict zone of Bastar for inspecting the ground situation.

    Bastar police had so far confirmed about eight personnel killed in the gunfight with the rebels on Saturday. “21 jawans are still missing after the encounter. The search operation continues in the region,” he told the media in Raipur.

    Meanwhile local mediapersons in south Bastar reached ground zero at Teklaguda on Sukma-Bijapur border, where the fierce exchange of fire took place, and located several bodies of the security personnel lying on the ground within the periphery of one km.

    As many as 28 troopers are injured in the Maoist ambush. Senior security advisor in the union home ministry K Vijay Kumar has been recently visiting the Bastar region to supervise the anti-Maoist strategy.

    Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel spoke with Union Home minister Amit Shah on Sunday. Baghel, who is spearheading the Congress election campaign in Assam, said that both the sides have suffered the casualties.

    “The incident shows the desperation of the Maoists who are now restricted to the small pockets in south Chhattisgarh region. Our fight against the rebels will continue till we achieve a Maoist-free Bastar,” he asserted. The CM will be returning to Raipur on Sunday evening.  

    On Friday night, an intelligence-based anti-Maoist operation was launched by various parties of the forces comprising of over 1200 jawans along the Bijapur-Sukma border from three different directions in south Bastar.

    A gunfight resulted between one of the teams and the armed guerrilla rebels who reportedly ambushed the troopers at the inhospitable Silger forested landscape of Bijapur and Teklaguda village located on the border of Maoist-affected Sukma district.

  • Five jawans martyred fighting Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district

    Express News Service
    RAIPUR: At least five security personnel including a CRPF jawan and two Maoists were killed in a fierce gunbattle at the Silger forested terrain in south Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur on Saturday. Around a dozen jawans were also injured  in the encounter.

    The incident happened when security forces were sent on the intelligence-based anti-Maoist operations from three different directions along the Bijapur-Sukma border area on Friday night.

    A team of troopers reportedly got trapped in an ambush near Tarrem on Saturday noon followed by an encounter that continued for nearly three hours, according to the information reaching the state capital.

    The Chhattisgarh DGP DM Awasthi confirmed that five jawans were killed in the gunfight.

    The Maoists carried out the attack when the forces were returning after the operation. Two choppers and nine ambulances have been rushed to Bijapur.

    ALSO READ | Cops go into high gear in Telangana-Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border areas after Maoist encounter

    The reinforcement was rushed to the spot and the forces are yet to return from the operation, the DGP added.

    Two bodies of rebels were also recovered from the encounter site.

    This is the second major Maoist attack inflicting casualties on the forces during the last 10 days in the conflict zone of Bastar.

    On March 23, five personnel of District Reserve Guards (DRG) were killed and over a dozen injured in a series of powerful IED blasts targeting a bus carrying jawans in the Narayanpur district.

    Meanwhile, an emergency meeting of top state and police officials including the director of the intelligence bureau was convened in Raipur. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel condemned the incident by calling it a ‘dastardly act’ of Maoists.