9 CRPF jawans martyred in sabotage by Maoist in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district

Raipur/ New Delhi: Nine CRPF soldiers were martyred in the explosion carried out by Maoists in the ‘Sukma’ district of Chhattisgarh. Maoists used an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) to blow up a vehicle carrying the soldiers at around 12.30 in the afternoon on Tuesday. It has come to light that about 50 kgof explosives were used in the attack. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has expressed grief over the incident. Whereas the security forces have initiated a campaign against the Maoist attackers.

A vehicle carrying CRPF soldiers was blown up by the Maoists on the Kistaram-Palodi road at 12.30pm. Although this was an armoured vehicle, the Maoists had used as much as 50 kg. of explosives. The vehicle was tossed about 10 feet in the air with the explosion killing 9 soldiers. General R. R. Bhatnagar rushed to the spot of the blast immediately on receiving the information. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had a telephonic discussion with the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh after the blast.

The Union Home Minister has expressed deep anguish over the incident and also expressed his condolences to the families of the martyred soldiers. The attack was carried out by ‘People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army’ (PLGA) led by the Maoist leader Hidma.

It is clear that the attack was carried out by the PLGA battalion number 1 with the use of IED. Sukma district in Chhattisgarh is considered to be infested with Maoists. However, an action against these Maoists had been started. The Maoists had planned aggressive tactics to retaliate. The blast on Tuesday was a part of the same plan.

Some news agencies have informed that there were about 100 Maoists present at the site at the time of the blast. This has not been confirmed as yet. The attack makes it clear that the Maoists are preparing for a large scale bloodshed in order to establish their dominance in Sukma and the other districts of Chhattisgarh. But after the attack, units of security forces have been dispatched to the area and the campaign against the Maoists is said to have been intensified.

On 11th of March, last year, the Maoists had killed 12 soldiers at Bheji in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh. Within weeks of this attack, in the month of April, the Maoists had killed 25 CRPF soldiers in their cowardly attack in Sukma.