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Chhattisgarh : Naxalites kill 55 policemen |
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In one of the deadliest attacks by Naxalites in the country, Maoist rebels stormed a police camp in Chhattisgarh on March 15, killing 55 security personnel.
More than 300 rebels attacked the camp in Dantewada district around 2.30 in the night, throwing grenades and petrol bombs and setting fire to it before escaping with a cache of arms and explosives.
“We have pulled out 55 bodies from the burnt police camp,” said Inspector-General of Police (Bastar range) R.K. Vij.
The victims include 16 jawans of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force and 39 special police officers (SPOs) - villagers trained, armed and recruited by the government to combat the Naxalites.
The surprise attack didn’t give the security personnel at the Ranibodli post - about 520 km south-west of Chhattisgarh’s capital Raipur and surrounded by dense forests - the chance even to take positions and retaliate.
The police, however, claimed that the security personnel gave a befitting reply but gave up after running out of ammunition. The police post had been set up a year ago following intensified movement of rebels in the area.
Once the cover firing ended, Maoist women cadres stormed the post and overpowered the security personnel. The rebels set the camp on fire before retreating.
Vij said all 55 died on the spot, and added that 12 personnel, including an assistant platoon commandant, were injured.
The sources added that the Maoists bundled dozens of bodies in a room and attached live bombs to them to foil rescue efforts.
The rebels took away more than 50 weapons, including AK-47 rifles.
Chief Minister Raman Singh told the Assembly he had “briefed the Union Home Minister” about the incident. “He has assured assistance from the Centre for rescue and relief work.” He added that the Centre has sent a helicopter while the state helicopter had already been pressed into service.
Security personnel have launched a massive search operation to hunt down the rebels.
At least 676 people have been killed in Maoist-related violence in Chhattisgarh in the past two years. In Andhra Pradesh, which is also affected by the Maoist menace, the police seized a major arms cache of over 200 rocket launchers, grenades, mines, pistols and explosives.
Observers say that the Naxalites appear to have started implementing their recent resolve to stamp out people’s movement directed against them. The attack comes eight months after 25 Salwa Judum activists were killed by the Naxalites at a relief Camp in Dantewada district. The killing of JMM MP Sunil Mahato, a vocal opponent of Naxalites in Jharkhand, also appears to be part of the extremist strategy to attack the Salwa Judum, a counter-insurgency movement.
The Naxalite attack has exposed the lack of preparedness of the police in facing extremist elements.
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