Ch'garh: 5 killed after naxal blast in Bastar
Jagdalpur,
Oct
29:
Five
Special
Police
Officers
(SPOs)
were
killed,
three
injured
and
12
security
personnel
went
missing
after
Naxalites
triggered
a
landmine
blast
targetting
a
patrolling
party
near
Kosaguda
village
in
naxalite
infested
Bijapur
district
in
Bastar
region
of
Chhattisgarh.
Police sources said the rebels first triggered a blast when the security personnel, comprising SPOs and four constables, were patrolling the area at around 1030 hours and later opened fire at them.
The deceased have been identified as Manoj Kuriam, Ratiram, Tisra Kopa, Virish Kas and Hariram, all SPOs- the local tribal youth recruited to assist the security personnel in anti-naxalite operations on a honorarium of Rs 1500 per month.
Police said two SPOs and a constable were injured in the blast and firing, while 12 other security personnel went missing after the incident that took place about six Kms away from the Gangaloor-Bijapur road.
A team of security personnel, led by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), have already reached the spot and started combing operations to flush out the rebels from the area, a senior police officer engaged in anti-naxalite operations said.
''We are making efforts to trace the missing security personnel and rescue them'', he added.
UNI