Three members of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed and 14 others were injured in a Naxal encounter in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday. The encounter took place at the Sukma – Bijapur border in Chhattisgarh.
Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) P Sundarraj stated that the incident took place near Tekalgudem village while a combined team of security personnel was engaged in a search operation. The injured individuals are currently receiving treatment in Raipur, and are confirmed to be out of immediate danger. Tekalgudem village is situated on the border of Bijapur and Sukma districts.
The clash unfolded around 1 pm when a team from the 201 battalions of the CoBRA and the 150 battalions of the CRPF were involved in establishing a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in the region. The endeavor aimed to provide essential amenities for the residents in the region.
A FOB serves as a remote camp designed to support security forces operating in high-risk Naxal-dominated areas. Notably, in 2021, as many as 22 jawans lost their lives in an encounter with Naxals along the Sukma-Bijapur border in Chhattisgarh.
All 14 injured security personnel were promptly airlifted to Raipur for advanced medical treatment.
On Republic Day, the Indian Tricolour was proudly hoisted for the first time in the Sukma-Bijapur area.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently presided over a comprehensive review meeting in Chhattisgarh’s capital, Raipur, focusing on Left Wing Extremism (LWE).
Security forces have faced numerous attacks in recent months. In the state’s two-phase polls in December, members of the banned CPI (Maoist) perpetrated three separate attacks using improvised explosive devices (IEDs), resulting in the death of two security personnel and severe injuries to another. These incidents occurred while the personnel were transporting a polling party to a booth ahead of the voting.
Bastar police reported that, between the announcement of the election and three days after the voting concluded, the region witnessed 10 exchanges of gunfire and eight IED blasts. Tragically, six civilians lost their lives, and security forces managed to recover 42 IEDs during this period.