Raipur, March 14: Police in Chhattisgarh Monday claimed to have killed up to 30 Maoists in a gun battle with over 300 heavily armed rebels after the latter shot dead three policemen.
The fight took place in a forested area in the restive Bastar region’s Dantewada district, close to where the rebels had massacred 76 security personnel in April last year.
“Our three jawans were killed when Maoists sprayed bullets in a remote village near Madpalli. At least three other jawans were injured and we are trying to airlift them for medical attention,” Bastar Inspector General of Police T.J. Longkumer told IANS over phone.
The officer said that the police have killed up to 30 Maoists in the gun battle that followed the killing of three policemen, two of whom belonged to Koya Commandos, a unit of Chhattisgarh Police made up of local youths.
“Police have not collected a single body of the Maoists, and it is probable the rebels carried away the bodies deep inside the jungle,” added Longkumer.
But sources here at the police headquarters said that claims of killing up to 30 rebels looked an exaggerated figure.
However, one source admitted that there definitely were injuries or casualties among the rebels.
–Agencies