Feb 18 gunfight foiled major Naxal ambush in C'garh: Top cop

A top Chhattisgarh Police officer today claimed that the forces on February 18 foiled a major Naxal ambush in Sukma district which was designed on the lines of the last year's Burkapal attack, wherein 25 CRPF personnel were killed.
Two security personnel were killed and six others injured in the over four-hour-long gunfight on Sunday in the forests of Bhejji, considered a Maoist stronghold, while as per reports, 20 ultras were killed in the exchange of fire.
The ambush was designed on the lines of Burkapal attack but counter-insurgency forces successfully foiled the assault planned by the CPI (Maoist) and inflicted "heavy casualties" on the ultras, the top police officer said.

"Military battalion No 1 of Maoists had planned to carry out a major attack on a contingent of the Special Task Force (STF) and the District Reserve Guard (DRG) near Elarmadgu, around 7-km from Bhejji.
"But security forces not only broke their ambush but also inflicted heavy casualties on Naxals, forcing them to retreat into dense forests," Special Director General (Anti- Naxal Operations) D M Awasthi told PTI.
This 'military battalion' of Maoists, active in southern part of Bastar, has been blamed for several deadly attacks on security forces in the region.

On April 24 last year, the same Maoist unit had ambushed a patrolling party of theCRPF near Burkapal village under Chintagufa police station limits when it was providing security to road construction works, officials have said.

As many as 25 paramilitary jawans were killed and seven others injured in the attack.
"Perhaps on the same model, Maoists had planned the attack on Sunday near Elarmadgu," he said.
A 20-km road between Injeram and Bhejji has been completed. The road is now being expanded to Chintagufa from Bhejji (28 km) where police and paramilitary personnel were providing security to construction works, he said.
On Sunday morning, a 90-member squad of the DRG and STF commandos launched an area domination operation towards Elarmadgu from Bhejji to facilitate the construction works during which they received inputs about the movement of ultras, the senior IPS officer said.

As per the information, at least 200 Maoists divided in two groups had laid the ambush in the area, he said.
While security forces were taking positions sensing suspicious activities, they came to know that Maoists have killed a contractor and torched eights tractors and one JCB machine engaged in the construction work near Elarmadgu, he said.
Suddenly, ultras, including women, indiscriminately fired on the DRG and STF commandos from two sides at around 11.30 am but the security forces did not panic and after the initial burst of fire, launched a heavy retaliatory action, the officer said.
Security forces successfully countered the ambush and inflicted "heavy casualties" on Naxals, Awasthi said.

He said it was a well calculated attack on the DRG and STF who have been at the forefront of anti-Naxal operations from the past few years and inflicted heavy losses on Maoists.
Two DRG assistant constables were killed in the gun-battle, Awasthi said, adding there were reports that 20 Maoists were killed in the exchange of fire.
Ground reports suggest Maoists military battalion No 1 head Hidma, its deputy head Situ and company commanders Sonu and Nagesh were involved in planning and executing the attack, he said.
Naxals were frustrated over construction works in the region and therefore they often target security forces providing protection to such projects, the IPS officer added.