Three CRPF Personnel Died, 14 Injured in Maoist Encounter in Chhattisgarh

During an encounter with Maoists at a newly established police camp on the borders of Sukma-Bijapur districts in the Bastar region on Tuesday, three security personnel lost their lives, and 14 sustained injuries. The ongoing encounter prompted the injured jawans to be airlifted to Raipur for medical treatment.

Preliminary reports suggest that Maoists initiated gunfire on a recently set-up security camp at Tekulagudem village, located near Jagargunda hills on the Sukma-Bijapur borders in the insurgency-hit Bastar division. The security personnel, comprising the CoBRA elite unit of CRPF, Special Task Force, and District Reserve Guards, were patrolling near the camp in the Jonaguda-Aliguda region when they came under Naxal firing. In response, the jawans engaged in a counter-attack, leading to a prolonged encounter. Maoists also triggered an IED blast and utilized BGL against the security camp, according to the police.

One jawan sustained a bullet injury, and thirteen others were injured in the blast with splinter injuries. A police statement confirmed that the condition of all personnel was stable.

Tekulgudam, the site of the encounter, was where 23 security personnel lost their lives in a deadly Maoist ambush in 2021. The region is considered the native place of the notorious Maoist commander Hidma.

Inspector General of Police P Sundarraj, overseeing the Bastar range, stated that despite the significant loss of lives in the 2021 ambush, efforts were underway to establish peace, protection, and progress by setting up a police camp for the welfare of the local population. Sundarraj emphasized the determination of the jawans to eliminate the Naxal problem.

The encounter in Tekulgudam continued, with further details awaited. In every major Maoist attack in Bastar, the elusive figure of Hidma is often associated. Tekulguda village, witnessing 26 jawan deaths, including 23 in 2021, is adjacent to Puvarti, believed to be Hidma’s native village.

Hidma, with a bounty of Rs 45 lakh on his head, is implicated in more than 26 attacks, including the 2013 Jhiram Ghati massacre and the Burkapal ambush of April 2017. Despite his notoriety, security forces remain uncertain about his appearance, relying on a collection of photos of individuals who could potentially be Hidma.

The casualties in the recent encounter included seven from CRPF’s CoBRA unit, eight from District Reserve Guards, six from STF, and one from Bastariya battalion. The meticulously planned ambush involved rebels triggering blasts and opening indiscriminate fire from higher positions to inflict casualties.