9 CRPF Men Killed As Maoists Blow Up Armoured Vehicle In Chhattisgarh

Nine personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force have died after Maoists blew up an anti-landmine vehicle, in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh. The CRPF men were out on an area domination exercise when they were ambushed by the Maoists. Four CRPF personnel have also been injured in the attack. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, tweeted the Maoist attack is "deeply distressing."

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.

- Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) March 13, 2018

The Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Raman Singh, said he is "deeply anguished" after the death of the CRPF personnel.

Around 8 am this morning, 11 men of the elite Cobra forces, specially trained to tackle Maoist insurgency, were travelling from Kistaram to Palodi in Sukma, where an anti-Naxal operation was already going on.

"A CRPF patrolling party was on its way from Kistaram to Palodi, in an anti-landmine vehicle, which was targeted by Maoists," said DM Awasthi, Special Director General, Anti-Naxal Operations. More forces have reached the spot and the Director-General CRPF, Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, is also on his way to Chhattisgarh.

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The Maoists used a huge quantity of explosives to blow up the vehicle; multiple improvised explosive devices were concealed under the dirt track, a senior official said.
 The injured CRPF personnel have been evacuated in a helicopter to Raipur. Earlier in the day, Maoists had staged a similar attack but they fled after CRPF forces retaliated.

Today's attack comes just about a year after twenty-five personnel of the CRPF were killed on March 11, 2017, in the Bheji area of Sukma. Maoists in a similar fashion had planted IEDs.