On the day of voting for the first phase of Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Naxal insurgents targeted the District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel near the Banda police station on Tuesday.
The armed confrontation occurred as the DRG personnel were stationed approximately 2 kilometers from the Banda polling station. Security forces retaliated, leading to a ten-minute exchange of fire before the Naxals stopped their attack, ANI reported.
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All jawans are safe, and the voting process is underway, Sukma police stated.
In another incident earlier this morning, an officer from the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) sustained injuries due to an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast during an area domination operation against Naxals in Elmagunda, Sukma district.
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According to ANI, Sukma police stated, “One CRPF CoBRA Battalion jawan was injured in an IED blast triggered by Naxals in the Tondamarka area of Sukma. The jawan had been deployed for election duty.”
A separate encounter occurred between the Special Task Force (STF) and Naxal rebels within a forested area near the Orchha police station. The STF personnel were safe as the Naxals fled from the scene. The authorities are currently conducting a thorough search of the area.
Meanwhile, the viral social media claims of Naxal encirclement around polling booths have been debunked by the state police. The election process is underway, ANI reported.