Raipur: Weapons belonging to security personnel, including 10 AK- series rifles, were taken away by the Maoists from the encounter site on Monday. 14 CRPF personnel were killed and 12 others were injured on Monday in an attack by Maoists in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh.
An assessment report says that the team of Central Reserve Police Force personnel lost about 10 AK 47/56 rifles, one self-loading rifle, an INSAS rifle and about 400 rounds of ammunition in the gunfight which took place in the jungles in the Chintagufa police station area of the district.
The report also said that about 14 suspected Maoists were killed while 15 others were injured in the gunfight which lasted for over four hours.
The entire command of the CRPF party which was caught in the encounter — 223rd battalion — was killed in the action, including its Deputy Commandant BS Verma, Assistant Commandant Rajesh Kapooriya and Sub-Inspector HR Sharma. One SI of the unit has been critically injured.
Assessment report said that the Maoists, when engaged by the CRPF personnel near Kasalapada village, made ‘human shields’ of the local villagers, including women and the aged.
“The operation in the area has been called off but some search parties are still there to check for any movement of ultras,” a senior officer said.
Two IAF Mi-17 choppers flew sorties and brought back the first batch of injured personnel from the encounter area to Jagdalpur, the district headquarters of Bastar region today.
