Brutal Naxal Attack in Chattisgarh: 73 CRPF Jawans Butchered

From Media Sources
Bellevision Media Network

Raipur, 06 April 2010: In an unprecedented brutal Naxal ambush early in the morning of Tuesday, 6 April 2010, in the dense Naxal infested Mukrana forests of Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district as many as 73 CRPF jawans were killed. While 72 of those killed were CRPF personnel including a deputy and an assistant commandant, one was a head constable of the district police force. 73 bodies of the personnel, who were part of a 80-member CRPF and a district police team, have been recovered from the site of the attack suspected to have been carried out by about 1000 Naxals, police spokesman and Inspector General R K Vij said. The CRPF jawans along with the state police force were on a four day anti-Naxal operation when the ambush took place. The Naxals blew up the anti-mines vehicles and fired indiscriminately from the hill top.

The Home Minister, P. Chidambaram has expressed shock over the brutal attack. In a statement he said that something must have gone drastically wrong and the jawans seem to have walked into a trap set by the Naxalites… the casualty is very high and he is deeply shocked at the loss of lives....Further he said that this attack showed the savage nature of CPI (Maoist) and the brutality and the savagery they are capable of. Later,  the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh spoke to Chidambaram  to assess the situation in Chattisgarh. Prime Minister also expressed shock and grief at the brutal attack on the jawans by the Naxals.

The rescue operation is in full swing as helicopters have been pressed into service to evacuate the casualties. Additional reinforcement has been sent to that area. According to the Chief Minister of Chattisgarh, Raman Singh around 120 jawans were ambushed by aaround 1000 Naxalites from three sides. The Chattisgarh Home Minister said that there seems to have been a major lapse in the intelligence in put.

KPS Gill, the former Security advisor said that the Naxal strategy has failed. Heexpressed surprise as to why only one company of the jawans was sent on a four day anti-Naxal operations. He said that the CRPF jawans were like sitting ducks. 

There is a need for a serious rethinking on the strategy to neutralize the Naxal menace in different parts of Central India.