17 jawans martyred in naxal attack

New Delhi, Mar 22: Following a madsive search operation the bodies of 17 jawans has been found.

The jawans had gone missing following a naxal attack on Saturday.

Eleven policemen were injured in a fierce gun-battle with naxals in forests of Chhattisgarh''s insurgency-hit Sukma district on Saturday, the police said.

The encounter took place at around 2:30 pm near Korajguda hills in Chintagufa area when a joint team of security forces was out on an anti-naxal operation, a senior police official said here.

Personnel of the police''s District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force and CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) had launched the operation from Chintagufa, Burkapal and Timelwada camps based on information about presence of ultras near Elmagunda, he said.

When the team was advancing through Korajguda hills, located around 450 km from the state capital Raipur, firing broke out between the two sides, he said.

"Eleven DRG personnel sustained injuries. They are being evacuated," he said, adding that two of them were said to be in critical condition.

" Based on the ground inputs, it is believed at least 4 to 5 naxals might have been killed and an equal number injured as security forces retaliated strongly," he said.