26 troopers killed in Chhattisgarh Maoist attack (Second Lead)

RAIPUR - In yet another deadly attack by the Maoists, 26 paramilitary troopers were killed Tuesday in Chhattisgarh’s restive Bastar region, officials said.

About a dozen personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were also injured in the attack in Narayanpur district, state Home minister Nankiram Kanwar said.

“A CRPF contingent of over 70 men was ambushed by Maoists in a forested stretch in Narayanpur,” an official at the police headquarters here told IANS.

In New Delhi, Home Secretary G.K. Pillai told reporters that the Maoists had ambushed a “road opening party” of the CRPF.

He said all others in the CRPF party of 63 had been accounted for and had returned to their camp.

The incident took place just three kilometers from a CRPF camp some 400 km south of state capital Raipur.

The bodies of the slain troopers are being brought to Narayanpur town, the district headquarters. “The injured are being shifted to the district hospital and the Bastar district hospital,” said Director General of Police Vishwa Ranjan.

Police sources said the incident took place at around 3.30 p.m. when a joint team of the CRPF and the Special Task Force (STF) of the state police were on their way for a search operation.

The rebels ambushed the group, leading to a fierce gunfight that lasted for over three hours.

Though additional reinforcements were rushed to the spot, rescue and evacuation of the injured security personnel could take time as movement of security personnel is difficult after sunset in view of the possibility of further attacks by the Maoists.

Some of the injured have been airlifted to the district hospital while a team of doctors have been stationed at Maharani Hospital at Jagdalpur to provide immediate medical attention.