Maoist menace: 10 dreaded attacks in last ten years

In another chilling reminder of the costs of the festering Naxal insurgency, at least 10 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commandos belonging to the elite COBRA unit were killed and five others injured on Monday when Naxals targeted them with an improvised-explosive device (IED).

According to reports, officials said that the attack took place in the jungles of Bihar's Aurangabad district.    

According to the officials, an encounter occurred between the jawans of the COBRA unit and the Naxals after the IED blast. The officials revealed that the encounter resulted in the killing of three Naxals by late Monday night.

The attack comes months after Naxals killed seven CRPF men in Chhattisgarh with a powerful landmine. 

It is not just the security forces which have faced the brunt so far. Earlier this year, Home Ministry statistics showed that 53 people were executed by Maoists after 'kangaroo courts' found them 'guilty' in the five worst Naxal-hit states of the country in the last three years.

According to the ministry, 18 people were killed following the directives of 'kangaroo courts' or 'Jan Adalats' in 2015 for being alleged police informers or "for not believing in Maoist ideology".

During 2015, 41 'Jan Adalats' were held by Naxal cadres in five Left wing extremism affected states — Andhra Pradesh (1), Bihar (6), Chhattisgarh (14), Jharkhand (14) and Odisha (6).

Over the years, Maoists have struck at security forces and civilians alike with impunity.

Here are the 10 most lethal Naxal attacks and encounters in the last 10 years:

1) Kandhamal encounter: Earlier this month, at least five people, including one child, were reportedly killed after getting caught in a crossfire between security personnel and Naxals in Odisha's Kandhamal district.

Speaking to IANS, Kandhamal district Superintendent of Police Pinak Mishra said, "Five villagers including two women, one minor and two men were killed during the gun battle with the Maoists."

2) Dantewara attack: On March 30 this year, seven CRPF men were killed in Chhattisgarh's Dantewara district in a landmine explosion.

The CRPF personnel of the 230 Battalion were heading towards Mokapal area from Kuankora police station for patrolling when their vehicle was caught in a landmine explosion. The CRPF men were also fired upon just after the explosion, sources said.

The Naxals took away the arms and ammunition the killed personnel were carrying.

Such was the intensity of the attack, which came just weeks after a CRPF jawan was killed and four others injured in an IED blast in Chhattisgarh’s Maoist-hit Sukma district, that it left a deep crater in the metalled road, according to media reports.

3) Palamau attack: Towards the end of January this year, the Maoists triggered an IED blast in Palamau district of Jharkahnd killing seven security personnel.

The Commandant of 134 Battalion of CRPF, S K Linda, had said the police were on an anti-Naxal operation when the vehicle carrying these personnel drove over the IED. CRPF and district policemen were walking at a distance behind the vehicle when the blast took place.
 

4) Taking a village hostage: In May of 2015, a hostage situation developed in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district where around 250 villagers were seized by Maoist rebels on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to neighbouring Dantewada.

Chief Minister Raman Singh had said that anywhere between 200 and 250 villagers were abducted by the Naxals from a few villages in Sukma district and efforts were being made by the local administration for their release.

"Around 200-250 villagers have been abducted and 4-5 others (locals) are negotiating their release," Singh told journalists after conflicting claims were made by police officials on the number of villagers kidnapped by the ultras.

5) Attack on senior Congress leaders: In May of 2013, heavily-armed Maoists ambushed a convoy of Congress leaders in Chattisgarh's Sukma district, killing 27 people, including senior Congress leader Mahendra Karma, and injuring senior leader V C Shukla and 31 others.

A day after the attack, bullet-riddled bodies of abducted Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel, his son and eight others were found in Bastar.

6) 2010 Narayanpur attack: In June of 2010, 26 personnel of the CRPF's 39 Battalion were killed in a Maoist ambush in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district. 

The ambush was one in a string of lethal attacks which were perpetrated by the ultras between February and June that year. 

7) 2010 Dantewada attack: In April of 2010, at least 75 jawans of the CRPF were killed in an ambush by Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada region.

According to reports, the Maoists attacked the CRPF convoy in the Tademetla forests. Opening indiscriminate fire and triggering an IED blast, the Maoists struck the convoy and the reinforcements which were sent in to aid the security forces. 

The attack came just two days after Maoists had triggered another landmine blast and killed 11 security personnel of the anti-Naxal force Special Operations Group in Odisha's Koraput district.

8) 2010 Midnapore attack: On February 15, 2010, 24 personnel of the Eastern Frontier Rifles were killed in their camp in Silda in West Midnapore district of West Bengal in what was the most devastating Maoist attack in the state. 

9) Malkangiri landmine attack: In July of 2008, Maoists blew up a police van in a landmine blast and killed 21 policemen in Odisha's Malkangiri district. 

10) 2008 boat attack: In June of that year, Maoists attacked a boat at Odisha's Balimela reservoir. The boat, which was carrying four police officials and 60 Greyhound commandos, came under ambush and 38 troops were killed in the action.