After ambush, Naxals take away CRPF jawans' weapons

An assortment of sophisticated weaponry belonging to security personnel, including 10 AK-series rifles, were carried off by the Naxals from the site of the encounter on Monday in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh which left 14 Central Reserve Police Force jawans dead and over a dozen others injured.

An assessment report says that the team of CRPF personnel lost about 10 AK 47/56 rifles, one self-loading rifle, an INSAS rifle and about 400 rounds of ammunition in the gunfight which took place in the jungles in the Chintagufa police station area of the district.

Three AK rifles in this cache were of an advanced configuration, fitted with the powerful under-barrel grenade launchers.

The report also said that about 14 suspected Naxals were killed while 15 others were injured in the gunfight which lasted for over four hours.

The entire command of the CRPF party which was caught in the encounter -- 223rd battalion -- was killed in the action, including its Deputy Commandant BS Verma, Assistant Commandant Rajesh Kapooriya and Sub-Inspector HR Sharma. One SI of the unit has been critically injured.

The report said that the Naxals, when engaged by the CRPF personnel near Kasalapada village, made ‘human shields’ of the local villagers, including women and the aged.

“The operation in the area has been called off but some search parties are still there to check for any movement of ultras,” a senior officer said.

Meanwhile, two IAF Mi-17 choppers on Tuesday flew sorties and brought back the first batch of injured personnel from the encounter area to Jagdalpur, the district headquarters of Bastar region.