Two security personnel and a civilian were killed in a Maoist attack on a road construction site in Sukma district of south Chhattisgarh on Sunday.
Six policemen were injured during the attack in Bhejji-Elarmadagu area. A group of Maoists attacked the construction site and torched several vehicles. An exchange of fire ensued between the policemen patrolling near the site and the Maoists.
“Assistant constables Madkam Handa and Mukesh Kadthi [of the Chhattisgarh police] were martyred in this encounter. Anil Kumar, an employee of the contractor, was also killed by the Maoists. Six jawans were injured and airlifted for treatment,” an officer of the Chhattisgarh police’s Anti-Naxal Operations (ANO) unit said. The injured policemen were identified as constable Salwan Raja, Chapa Rakesh, Shivram Soni, Padam Soyam, Rupsingh Poyam and Sodi Bachha.
Five teams of the CRPF CoBRA’s (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) 202 battalion were sent as reinforcement.
The ANO said no weapons were lost in the incident, and that some Maoists may have been killed in the exchange of fire.
“As per reports and as told by our commanders, heavy casualties were inflicted on the Maoists in today’s exchange of fire which lasted for around four hours. Around 20- 25 Maoist have been reportedly killed and many injured as per inputs received from the field,” said Devnath, the additional Inspector General of Police, Chhattisgarh ANO.
However, security forces did not recover any Maoist’s body from near the encounter spot.
Meanwhile, one Maoist was killed in another encounter in Errabore area of Sukma on Sunday.
