2 CRPF commandos suffer bullet injuries in Maoist attack in Bijapur

This year, 12 security force personnel have been killed in IED blasts, including 10 in a single attack at Dantewada. Another four jawans had suffered grievous injuries in an IED blast. Last year, 10 jawans and 33 civilians were killed by Maoists and it was seen as the lowest casualty in a year in the last two decades but Maoists have intensified their attacks in the election year with 18 jawans killed in the first four months this year and another 15 civilians in the same period.

Sunday’s encounter between the armed Maoists from the banned Communist Party of India (Maoists) and security forces took place around 8 pm somewhere between Pusnar and Hiroli areas under the jurisdiction of the Gangaloor police station.

A joint team of security forces composed of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) from the state police and CoBRA from the central force had gone to the spot to conduct an anti-Maoist operation. The operation was carried out based on a specific tip-off about the presence of Maoists in the area who were planting IEDs in the area. While the team was searching for the IED, the Maoists attacked them. Two constables Nakul and Mohamed Shahid suffered bullet injuries.

A senior police official said, “In the encounter, two men from CoBRA 202 Battalion suffered bullet injuries in the hand and legs. They are out of danger and undergoing treatment. Two to three Maoists also suffered injuries in the encounter. We are carrying out search operations to find them.”