DNA Special: Who are Chhattisgarh’s brave DRG jawans, trained fighters carrying Anti-Naxal missions?
In tragic news, 10 brave DRG jawans and their driver were killed during a Maoist attack right after carrying out an anti-Naxal operation in Chhattisgarh.
On April 26, tragic news was reported from Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada area where 10 District Reserve Group officers and their temporary driver were killed in a cowardly attack carried out by the Naxals in the area, right after an anti-Maoist operation in the district.
The brutal attack happened when the soldiers of the District Reserve Guard Unit were returning after completing the operation in the dense forests. During this time, as soon as their truck reached the Aranpur area of Dantewada, Naxals blew up their truck with an IED blast.
According to the reports, the police had received information about the presence of Naxals in the Aranpur area of Dantewada, after which more than a hundred jawans headed to the area to carry out an anti-Maoist operation. When they came back to Dantewada, the rest of the soldiers and their vehicles had already left.
The truck of the last batch of the DRG jawans was soon hit by an IED explosive. It was also reported that the Naxals hiding in the area fired heavily on their temporary vehicle. This attack was so dangerous and happened so fast that the soldiers did not get any chance to handle it. All the 11 people inside the minivan – 10 DRG jawans and their driver – lost their lives.
What is the District Reserve Guard?
The DRG aka the District Reserve Guard was formed in the year 2008 to eliminate Naxals in Chhattisgarh and this force was first deployed in the Kanker and Narayanpur districts of the state. This force was also deployed in Naxal-affected areas like Bijapur, Bastar, Sukma, and Dantewada.
In fact, local youth are recruited in DRG, who have complete knowledge of Naxal-affected areas. Not only this, but surrendered Naxalites are also included in the DRG. Due to being local, these soldiers are well acquainted with the geographical situation in the state as well as the culture and language there.
The soldiers involved in the DRG force are experts in guerrilla fighting just like Naxals and are also aware of the whereabouts and workings of the Naxalites. And for this reason, in the last few years, DRG has played a big role in anti-Naxal operations and has successfully carried out many major missions against the Maoists, putting them the target of this group.