Maoists kill 13 CRPF men in Chhattisgarh
Source: The Sangai Express / India Today

Raipur, December 01 2014 : Thirteen Central Reserve Police Force personnel, including two officers, were killed and as many injured on Monday in an encounter with Maoist rebels in the Naxal hotbed of Sukma district in Chhattisgarh.

According to preliminary reports reaching CRPF headquarters at capital Raipur, a squad of CRPF personnel was undertaking operations in Kasanpara village of the district in the south Bastar region when they entered into an encounter with the Maoists at around 10.30 am.

Sources in the CRPF said the Maoists used a combination of blasts and IEDs in their attack at Sukma, nearly 450 km from capital Raipur.

They alleged that the Maoists used villagers as human shields thereby ensuring that the CRPF jawans, returning to their base after conducting a search in the area, could not fire back.

The engagement, a senior officer said, continued till 1400 hours with casualties occurring on both sides.

Most of the troops suffered bullet injuries and have been air-lifted to Jagdalpur and the state capital here for treatment.

Maoists attack again. Picture for representational purpose

"Two officers, one in the rank of Deputy Commandant and an Assistant Commandant, have been killed while over a dozen personnel have been injured," the officer said, adding that the squad was in the jungles for the last 10 days to carry out operations.

Reinforcements are being sent to the area and the offensive by security forces is being led by CRPF Inspector General (Chhattisgarh), HS Sidhu.

The acting Director General and IG (Operations )of the paramilitary force have left for Sukma and will then file a report with the Home Ministry.

There was no specific intelligence but this is a Maoist-infested area, sources in the Home Ministry said, adding they will react once the report is received.

The ambush came three days after 12 Maoists were reportedly killed and five CRPF personnel injured in the same area in an encounter with Maoists in Kasalpur village in the same Sukma district.

"Deeply saddened and disturbed to know of 13 CRPF men being killed by the Naxals during an encounter in Chhattisgarh," Home Minister Rajnath Singh said.

The attack, the first major ambush by the Maoists after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over in May this year, is being considered a direct challenge to the NDA Government's renewed thrust in combating the Red terror.

Incidentally, in a 96-page supplement titled 'A Decade of Struggle and Sacrifice', scripted to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the formation of CPI Maoist which fell on September 21 2014, the Maoists have admitted to a large number of casualties due to the growing governmental push.

CPI Maoist General Secretary Ganapathy, in a rare admission, has advocated the need to "protect and preserve forces".

The Maoists, otherwise known for being able to publicise their messages, have been coy about this message coming from their top boss.

The document has been uploaded on www.bannedthought.net, an openly accessible site with a history of publishing 'revolutionary publication banned in India' and which claims to be an 'independent' one devoted to 'promoting free speech in the US and around the world'.

It also admits the death of 'nearly two thousand and five hundred' men and women associated with the CPI Maoist so far.