Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh strongly condemned the attack on CRPF vehicle which killed seven CRPF personnel on Wednesday.
A deadly landmine blast carried out by Naxals also left a massive four-feet deep crater on the road in the worst Maoist violence-affected Dantewada district of the state.
Whether they are jawans of CRPF, BSF and ITBP or Chhattisgarh Police, they all are fighting to protect democracy. Security personnel have laid down their lives to free Bastar from violence and Maoist terror. Their sacrifice will not go in vain. Jawans sacrificed their lives today while rendering duty. I salute their sacrifice.Raman Singh, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh
The deceased were identified as follows, according to The Indian Express:
- Vijay Raj
- Pradeep Tirkey
- Ranjan Das
- Devendra Chaurasia
- K Darshu
- J Rajendra
- Nana Udayveer Singh
Officials said that the attack occurred near the Basaras-Kuakonda axis in Melawada village when a Tata-709 mini-truck of the force went over a hidden landmine at about 4 pm.
The troops, most of whom had just returned from leave, were going to their nearby camp.
The troops were moving form one camp to the other when the huge blast hit their vehicle.General K Durga Prasad, CRPF Director
A senior official, however, ruled out looting of any weapons of the jawans, who were not in their combat uniforms, as most of them had had just come back from leave.
It is estimated that almost 20 kg of explosives was used to blow up the vehicle. At least three bodies have been badly charred and dismembered and hence their identification will take time.Senior Official
The crater caused by the blast was at least 4 feet deep, according to the official.
The 230 Battalion in Bastar
They said the troops belonged to the 230th battalion of the force deployed in south Bastar area for anti-Naxal operations.
The squad travelling in the ill-fated vehicle was led by an Assistant Sub-Inspector-rank officer Vijay Raj along with his juniors.
Sadanand Date, Inspector General, CRPF in Chhattisgarh pointed out that the camp where the jawans were headed had led many successful operations. The camp was set up two months ago, according to The Indian Express.
Since the 230 battalion was put in place, there have been many successes such as arrests and surrenders, and it is an area where the situation was improving.Sadanand Date, Inspector General, Chhattisgarh CRPF to The Indian Express
A Court of Inquiry has been ordered by the force into the incident to find out why the troops were travelling in a four wheeler. Travel in four-wheeler vehicles is not permitted for the troops due to the looming threat of similar incidents.
The inquiry will also try to find out the reason for the absence of arms on the person of the deceased. It is mandatory for them to carry arms even while moving for non-operational tasks.
Chhattisgarh’s acting Home Minister Ajay Chandrakar also informed the state Assembly that seven security personnel were killed in the Naxal attack.
The state has witnessed a rise in attacks on security forces this year as recently three CRPF commandos were killed and 14 hurt in Chhattisgarh on 2 March.
On 11 March a CRPF jawan was killed and four injured while two BSF men were killed in Kanker on 12 March.
(With PTI inputs)
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