After a crowd of at least 300 Naxals closed in on paramilitary commandos, ambushing them in the thick forest of Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, the Air Force swooped in to help, with its helicopters landing in the heart of a Maoist stronghold, despite concerns of the insurgents opening fire. The unarmed transport helicopters helped evacuate the soldiers that had been injured. By then, the attack - the worst in seven years on security forces in the state - had crossed three hours, revealed DM Awasthi, the Director General of Maoist Operations of the Chhattisgarh Police.