Raipur,April 06:The Maoists have struck again. This time, in their deadliest attack on security forces, the rebels trapped and gunned down 76 personnel of the Chhattisgarh police and the Central Reserve Police Force early on Tuesday in the thick jungles of Mukrana in Dantewada district. The police personnel were ambushed when they were returning after opening a road for the security forces to begin Operation Green Hunt, a coordinated campaign against the Naxalites.
Ambushing policemen who were out on an operation against them in thick forests, Naxalites carried out their deadliest attack in the early hours today killing 76 CRPF personnel who appeared to have walked into their “trap”.
Rattled by the “very high” casualty, Chidambaram said something must have gone “drastically wrong” in the joint operation as the personnel seemed to have walked into a trap.
Home secretary Gopal K Pillai, however, ruled out use of air power in the anti-naxal operations. He said the government’s resolve strengthened and it will continue to tackle the Maoists menace as already planned.Narrating the sequence of events, official sources said the Central Intelligence Bureau had shared an information about presence of Naxalites in the jungles of Chintalnar – Tarmetla following which the CRPF personnel along with the two state police constables left on their pursuit.
The CRPF team, which failed to achieve any breakthrough during the night, were encircled by the Naxals in the wee hours. They fired at the security personnel who ran towards the jungles, which had already been mined with pressure bombs, which claimed most of the lives.
The sources said that after the blasts, Naxals went round to look for any survivors and shot them too mercilessly before looting their weapons and two mortar guns.
The bodies have been recovered from the site of the attack, suspected to have been carried out by about 1,000 Naxals, Chhattisgarh inspector general RK Vij said.
The Naxals had planted IEDs which blew up an anti-mine vehicle killing the lone occupant, the driver. This was followed by heavy exchange of fire between the remaining CRPF personnel and the Maoists.
Seven of the injured CRPF men have been evacuated for treatment from the forest area, he said.