Bijapur encounter: Eight members of the security personnel died and around 18 are still missing.
Raipur:
Eight members of the security personnel have died in the line of duty and around 18 are still missing after yesterday’s encounter with Maoists in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, some 400 km from the state capital, Raipur.
This morning, the Director General (Naxal Operations) of the Chhattisgarh Police, Ashok Juneja, said that the number of deaths has risen to eight; yesterday five members of the security personnel had died in combat.
On Saturday, separate joint security force teams, numbering more than 2,000, launched a major operation from Bijapur and Sukma districts into the South Bastar forests, considered a Maoist stronghold. At around 12 noon, the Maoists set up an ambush, prompting an encounter that lasted three hours.
Today, Interior Minister Amit Shah spoke with Chhattisgarh’s Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and assessed the situation. He also ordered the Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Kuldiep Singh, to visit Chhattisgarh to assess the situation.
“The center and the state will fight together and also win,” Interior Minister Amit Shah told the chief minister, according to an official statement. He has secured all the necessary help from the center.
“I bow to the sacrifices of our brave security personnel martyred while fighting the Maoists in Chhattisgarh. The nation will never forget their courage. My condolences go out to their families. We will continue our fight against these enemies of peace and progress. May them wounded recover soon, “Mr. Shah had tweeted earlier.
I bow to the sacrifices of our brave security personnel martyred while fighting the Maoists in Chhattisgarh. The nation will never forget its value. My condolences to their families. We will continue our fight against these enemies of peace and progress. May the injured recover soon.
– Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 4, 2021
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted last night: “My thoughts go out to the families of those martyred while fighting the Maoists in Chhattisgarh. The sacrifices of the brave martyrs will never be forgotten. May the wounded recover as soon as possible.”
My thoughts are with the families of those martyred while fighting the Maoists in Chhattisgarh. The sacrifices of the brave martyrs will never be forgotten. May the injured recover as soon as possible.
– Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 3, 2021
Over the past 10 days, state security forces obtained information on the whereabouts of Madvi Hidma, a senior member of the outlaw CPI (Maoist), who has been linked to major attacks, including the 2013 killings of Jhiram Ghati.
More than 30 people, including senior leaders of the Chhattisgarh Congress, were killed in the Jhiram Ghati Naxal attack in 2013.
Saturday’s encounter comes days after five police officers were killed and 14 injured after Maoists attacked a bus carrying 27 DRG (District Reserve Guard) personnel in the Naryanpur district of Chhattisgarh. The bus, which was traveling from Kadenar to Kanhargaon, was hit by an IED (improvised explosive device).
On Thursday, three Maoists involved in planting explosives against security forces were arrested in the Sukma district of Chhattisgarh.
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