Chhattisgarh: Naxals set ablaze three vehicles in Rajnandgaon

On April 24, 25 CRPF personnel were killed and seven others injured when Naxals attacked a patrol party of the paramilitary force while they were ensuring security to the road construction work.

Rajnandgaon, Apr 28: The Naxals set on fire on Friday at least three vehicles and a machine engaged in building a road in the insurgency-hit area of Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district, the police said.

The incident took place this afternoon between Gatapar and Malaeda villages under Gatapar police station limits, a district police official said. A road is being built under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna between Gatapar and Malaeda, over 150 kms away from the state capital Raipur. As per the information, around two dozen armed naxals stormed the construction site and after threatening the workers, torched a tractor, a tipper truck, water tanker vehicle and a mixture machine engaged in the construction works, he said.

They also held hostage the workers till the vehicles and machine were completely gutted after which they fled into the forest, he added.

On coming to know of the incident, a police team rushed to the spot and launched a combing operation in the area to nab the attackers, the official said.

The Naxals have been opposing construction of this road which is being built in their stronghold, he added. On April 24, 25 CRPF personnel were killed and seven others injured when Naxals attacked a patrol party of the paramilitary force while they were ensuring security to the road construction work near Burkapal village of the state's Sukma district.

PTI