The Hindu : Front Page : 11 policemen killed in Chhattisgarh naxal attack

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Monday, Apr 17, 2006

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11 policemen killed in Chhattisgarh naxal attack

Home Ministry seeks report

Raipur: In a major strike on Sunday, activists of the CPI (Maoist) killed11 policemen, including an officer, in an attack on a police post in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.

About 70 naxalites came to the Murkinar police outpost in a bus and started attacking the policemen. Eleven died on the spot, sources said.

Weapons looted

The naxalites looted most of the weapons, including one LMG, three AK-47s, 15 .303 rifles, one mortar and one mortar launcher.

State Chief Secretary Ram Prakash Bagai said the victims belonged to the State armed police.

Among them were one section commander, two head constables, one constable and seven Special Police Officers.

Three SPOs and one constable were seriously wounded, the sources said, adding that police reinforcements reached the spot and search operations were on.

Director-General of Police Om Prakash Rathor said the police had also inflicted heavy casualties on the naxalites.

Caught unawares

Although 22 policemen and 31 Special Police Force personnel were present at the outpost, about 550 km from the capital, they were caught unaware by the suddenness of the attack, the sources said. — PTI

Constant touch

UNI reports from New Delhi:

The Union Home Ministry has sought a report on the attack.

A Home Ministry spokesman said the Ministry was in constant touch with the State Government.

``Pursuit of culprits is on and the State Government has assured the Centre that all necessary action will be taken,'' the spokesman said.

The State, over the last three months, has witnessed the largest number of civilian casualties in naxal attacks.

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