Maoists looted Ak47s in Narayanpur attack

HYDERABAD - The outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has put the number of its cadres killed in the ambush in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district Tuesday at three and claimed that the rebels looted 27 sophisticated weapons, including AK47s, from the slain security men.

“The weapons recovered from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) helped the Maoists increase their weaponry by eight AK47s, eight INSAS rifles, three SLRs, two two-inch mortars and 2 LMGs,” a statement released by the CPI-Maoist said Thursday night.

The Maoist outfit said that its People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army lost three men — platoon commanders Bandu and Shankar, and section commander Ramesh.

The statement sent by Maoist Party Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee spokesman Gudsa Usendi said the attack commenced at 1 p.m. June 29. In all, 27 CRPF men died and seven were injured.

It said United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh should take the responsibility for the death of the CRPF men.

“The attack is a reply to the massacre of tribals, gang rapes on tribal women, tortures, setting the houses of tribals on fire and illegal detention of tribals,” Usendi said.

He wanted newspapers to depute journalists in Operation Green Hunt areas - areas in which security forces have launched anti-Maoist operation - to find out for themselves the plight of innocent tribals there.