NewsGate Press Network

In one of the biggest setbacks for security forces in Chhattisgarh, outlawed Maoists killed 17 policemen in an encounter in Sukma.

Police recovered 17 bodies of jawans of the Chhattisgarh State Police (CSP) in Minpa jungles of Sukma deep inside Abujmand forest area where a fierce encounter took place on Saturday afternoon, 21-March-2020.

The encounter site is reportedly 400 kms from state capital Raipur.

“Seventeen bodies of CSP jawans  were recovered by rescue teams,” said Chhattisgarh’s Director General of Police (DGP) D M Awasthi.

After killing policemen, extremists looted fifteen automatic rifles including 10 AK-47 from the encounter site.

The DGP said the encounter began at around 1 pm on Saturday, 21-March-2020 near Korajguda hills in Chintagufa area when a joint team of security forces was out on an anti-Maoists operation.

“There were multiple encounters after 1 pm which took place in that area till evening”, police officials stated.

Anti Maoists operation was launched by the police’s District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force along with CRPF’s CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action).

When reports last came-in, combing operations continued on trail to hunt down extremists.

The police chief said about a dozen Maoists sustained bullet injuries. However no bodies of outlawed Maoists were found, police officials told media persons.

DGP added that the encounter took place with notorious Battalion Number One of CPI (Maoist) led by one extremists known as ‘Mandavi Hidma’.

“There were about 300 Maoists who were led by Hidma … We had information that the cadres of other states were also gathering near Minpa area,” the DGP added.

Saturday’s loss was the biggest blow for security forces since April 24, 2017 when Maoists had killed 25 CRPF personnel in an ambush near Burkapal in Sukma.