CHATTISGARH – At least 22 Indian security personnel were killed, 32 injured and one troop was reported missing in a four-hour-long encounter with Maoists that took place on Saturday afternoon in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh.
According to a report by the Times of India separate joint teams of security forces, comprising over 2,000 personnel, launched a major anti-Maoists operation from Bijapur and Sukma districts in the South Bastar forests, considered as the Maoist stronghold on Friday night. The encounter took place near Jonaguda village which falls under Jagargunda police station area (in Sukma).
Personnel belonging to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), its elite unit CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action), the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Special Task Force (STF) were involved in the operation launched from five places – Tarrem, Usoor and Pamed (in Bijapur), and Minpa and Narsapuram (in Sukma).
When the patrolling team that was dispatched from Tarrem was advancing through a forest near Jonaguda, located around 500 km from the state capital Raipur, it was ambushed by cadres of the PLGA (Peoples’ Liberation Guerilla Army) battalion of Maoists, leading to the gun-battle, reported PTI.
