ITBP jawans thwart naxal attack on Chhattisgarh camp

By OneIndia Defence Desk

Updated: Thursday, June 9, 2016, 13:29 [IST]

New Delhi, June 9: The Indo-Tibetan Border Police's (ITBP) Coy Operating Base (COB) in Ranapal came under heavy attack from naxalites on Wednesday night. No casualties have been reported from the ITBP side.

According to ITBP officials, the 41st Battalion of ITBP posted in Kondagaon village in Chhattisgarh came under fierce naxal attack last night. The armed naxals were around 100 in numbers.

Officials say that the ITBP camp was attacked from three different directions and the firing from both sides is said to have lasted for around three hours.

[Naxals attack ITBP camp in Chhattisgarh; fire rockets]

"A total of four rocket launchers fired by the naxals and we have recovered three of them. The search for the fourth one is on," says an official.

According to him, the firing started at 12:40 am and ended at around 3:00 am, early morning on Thursday.

"More than 600 rounds fired from both sides. ITBP troops fought bravely and forced the naxals to flee from the spot," says the official.

Speaking to OneIndia on Thursday, an official said that currently a combined search operation was on along with the state police.

Jawans engaged in metal road work

"We have established this camp here in early January this year and since then involved in the construction of a metal road. The area is poorly developed and the local administration is keen to have a road," says an official.

The camp has around 100 ITBP jawans and the naxals are reported to be unhappy over the development work being initiated.

'We are surprised to see the use of projectile weapons this time. They have been fired from close range. The weapons have been fitted with direction tools as well, pointing towards a R&D they have been doing," says the official.