Chhattisgarh Maoist attack: CM says reinforcements to be sent to CRPF personnel

Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Apr 6 (ANI): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Tuesday expressing grief over the attack in which at least 70 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed, said the main objective of the government was to send reinforcements and rescue those injured.

"We are discussing how to send reinforcements to them (injured personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force) to help them and how to better use the state helicopters and army helicopters. I talked to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, and I am in constant touch with him," said Singh.

"Our main effort is to help them to bring the injured and send the reinforcements," he added.

The attack took place when a CRPF patrol party, consisting of around 120 personnel, was returning to their base camp in the naxalite-infested Mukrana Forest in Dantewada between 6 to 7 am.

"120 soldiers of CRPF had gone to Chintagupha in Dantewada district. They were conducting searches in that area. A huge explosion took place and the vehicle they were sitting in, though it was a anti-mine vehicle, but so huge was explosion, that it was blown away," said Singh.

Chidambaram has also expressed shock over the incident and said something went drastically wrong.

Reinforcements have been rushed to the spot from neighbouring districts and helicopters pressed into rescue operations.

Sources said the CRPF patrol party was taken by surprise by the naxals, who opened fire at them from a nearby hillock.

The intensity of the attack can be gauged from the fact that security personnel were unable to lift the body of their colleagues killed in the ambush as extremists continued relentless firing.

A chopper has been sent from Jagdalpur, headquarters of Bastar district, to move the injured troopers to hospital. A strong contingent of state police force has also been rushed to the attack site.

Meanwhile, emergency services at the Jagdalpur hospital has been pressed into service to receive dead bodies and provide immediate relief to the injured troopers. (ANI)