Raipur: Fourteen Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, including two officials, were martyred and 12 others injured on Monday afternoon in a major Naxal ambush near Chintalnar in Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-affected Sukma district, about 450 km from the state capital.
“The death toll has risen to 14. Arrangements are being made to airlift all the wounded personnel directly from Chintalnar to Raipur by helicopter for providing immediate medical care,” the Chief Minister told media in Delhi tonight before leaving for the state capital.
Dr Singh said he had a detailed discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh regarding the Naxal attack and was assured of Central Government’s full support and assistance in tackling the situation.
Announcing that Home Minister would visit Raipur tomorrow afternoon, the Chief Minister said he would review the situation at a meeting with Director General of Police A N Upadhyay, ADG (Anti-Naxal Operation) R K Vij and other senior CRPF and intelligence officials on reaching here tonight.
Dr Singh, who was on a three-day visit to Delhi, was earlier scheduled to return here on Wednesday.
Dr Singh said strong contingents of CRPF and district force were jointly carrying out area domination operation in the Naxal-abound Chintalnar forest areas when one of the parties was ambushed by the ultras at Kasalnar village on its return to the base camp.
The two martyred CRPF officials were identified as Deputy Commandant D S Verma (Kanpur) and Assistant Commandant Rajesh Kapuria (Rajasthan).
Replying to a query, the Chief Minister said if required, critically injured personnel would be sent to Delhi by air-ambulance.
Bodies of all the martyrs will be brought here tomorrow and sent to their native places after paying floral tributes and guard of honour.
Meanwhile, state police sources said three parties of the CRPF, Cobra Battalion and state police were still out in the jungles till late Monday night.
According to the information, the 60 personnel were yet to return to camp till late Monday night.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned “the brutal and inhuman attack by anti-national elements”.
“Words are not enough to condemn the brutal and inhuman attack by anti-national elements in Sukma, Chhattisgarh. I salute the courageous CRPF personnel who have been martyred today. Our thoughts are with the families of those who lost their loved ones,” he said in a statement.
Modi said he had discussed the issue with Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, and the government “was monitoring the situation closely”.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi also expressed shock and deep anguish at the killings and demanded that the government look at all aspects of the incident. She extended her condolences to the family of the “martyrs” and hoped that the injured would get all the required treatment.
Police sources said the bodies of the killed troopers will be brought by helicopter to Jagdalpur from where they will taken to Raipur where a memorial ceremony will be held at the Police Training School grounds.
Officials at the Chhattisgarh police headquarters said Chintagufa was a den of Maoists where they have had several major hideouts since the 1990s. (Agencies)