Congress President Rahul Gandhi has expressed anguish over the death of seven policemen in a Naxal attack in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh today.
The Naxals carried out a land mine blast around 12 noon to target a vehicle of the policemen. The intensity of the blast, which took place near a culvert, was strong enough to toss the vehicle in a roadside ditch.
"The death of six jawans in the Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh is extremely sad. My sympathies are with the bereaved family members," he said in a tweet.
Five personnel had died on the spot and two were rushed to the National Mineral Development Corporation's hospital at Kirandul. One of them died during treatment at the hospital and another was airlifted to Raipur, where he died, officials said.
The Naxals had attacked a joint team of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) and the District Force (DF) which was patrolling the Cholnar-Kirandul road to provide security to trucks carrying construction material for road works between Kirandul and Palnar villages, a senior police official said.
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