Bijapur: A day after eight CRPF jawans were killed when Naxals blew up a bullet-proof vehicle in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, the state home minister said that Army's help should be taken to counter the growing Naxal menace in the state.
"As per my knowledge six people have been killed in the attack. In today's scenario, the Army should be used to tackle Naxals. It completely depends on the central government to take a call on this. They cannot use the power of bullet in a democracy to come into power," says Chhattisgarh Home Minister Nanki Ram Kanwar.
Commenting on the incident Chhattisgarh DGP Viswaranjan said, "There are three camps of the CRPF in Abhapalli, Basaguda and Ilmadi. These camps need rations. This CRPF team had 'cleared' a stretch of 33 kms in the morning, to supply the rations. On their way back from Abhaplalli to Bijapur, some CRPF personnel were going on leave, so they set out in a bullet-proof vehicle. About 11 kms from Abhapalli they were hit by a landmine. There was no firing after the blast so; it could be a remotely triggered blast."
Saturday's attack is the first major attack after the Dantewada ambush which left 76 security men dead a month ago.
The Naxalites carried out the IED blast near Pedakodepal village on NH16, 14 kms from the district headquarters in Bijapur, and fired at the security personnel, Additional Director General, Naxal Operation, Ram Niwas said.
Eight CRPF personnel of 168 Battalion, including a driver, who were travelling in a bunker vehicle from Basaguda Avapalli to Bijapur, 284 km from here, were killed while 10 others were injured, he said.
"It appears that the security personnel ignored the instruction not to travel in any kind of vehicle in the Naxal-infested areas," State Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar said.
The injured have been admitted to hospital in Jagdalpur.
Naxalites had on April 6 carried out their deadliest attack killing 76 CRPF personnel in Mukrana forests of Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh. (
Read: 8 CRPF jawans die in landmine blast inChhattisgarh)
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With inputs from PTI)