10 police personnel and their driver lost their lives after an IED bomb in their minivan exploded, fitted in their rented vehicle by Maoists in the area.
After Maoists ambushed police personnel in the area, 10 District Reserve Guard jawans and their driver lost their lives as a bomb exploded inside their minivan. This is one of the deadliest Naxal attacks to take place in Chhattisgarh, which has left the state government shaken up.
Ten police personnel and a civilian driver were killed after Naxals blew up a vehicle that was part of a convoy carrying security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district on Wednesday, an official said. This was the biggest strike by the Maoists on the security forces in the state in the last two years.
The deadly blast was carried out by the Maoists in the area by using an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) containing an estimated 40 kg of explosive material. The bomb was placed inside the rented minivan which was being used by District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawans for transportation.
District Reserve Guard is one of the most active police forces in Chhattisgarh. DRG personnel are mostly recruited from the local tribal population and trained to combat Maoists. Sometimes surrendered Maoists are also recruited in the DRG.
Another senior police official posted in Dantewada said that around 200 security personnel had set out from Dantewada district headquarters on Tuesday night after getting information about the presence of Maoists belonging to the Darbha division in the area.
On Wednesday morning, there was an exchange of fire between the patrolling team and Naxals near Nahadi village, around seven km from Aranpur, following which two suspected Naxals were held, he said on the condition of anonymity, as per PTI reports.
The explosion of the nearly 50 kg bomb left a massive crater, which was 20 feet wide and 10 feet deep. It has also been reported that the rented commute vehicle of the DRG was reportedly flung over 20 feet due to the explosion since it offers next to no ballistic support.
(With PTI inputs)
READ | Chhattisgarh Naxal attack: 10 policemen, driver killed in IED blast by Maoists in Dantewada
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 "50 kg bomb, 20 feet wide crater: How Chhattisgarh DRG jawans were targeted after anti-Naxal operation")
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