In wake of the deadly Naxal Attack, Union Home Minister Amit Shah today left for Chhattisgarh in the morning, to review the security situation. As many as 24 security personnel have been martyred in the attack and over 20 are reportedly injured.
Of the injured personnel include 10 from DRG, five from STF, and 16 from CoBRA-210 Battalion. Of the 31 injured, 13 suffered critical injuries and are being treated at a hospital in Raipur while 18 faced minor injuries and getting treatment in Bijapur.
Amit Shah after taking a review meeting will move to Raipur to meet the security personnel who have received injuries in the attack. He will also visit the gun battle site in Bijapur where the attack took place, a Home Ministry official said.
Shah also reviewed the gun battle inicident on Sunday at his residence in the National Capital, asserting that the "fight against Naxals will continue and we will take it to the end".
In the meeting, the Home Minister took the stock of the situation on the ground with senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Intelligence Bureau and Central Armed Police Forces soon after he reached Delhi from Assam.
A total of 24 security personnel have been martyred and 31 were injured in a fierce gun battle with a platoon of over 300 People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district.
Central Reserve Police Force's (CRPFs) Rakeshwar Singh Manhas from the 3.25 lakh strong paramilitary force's elite CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) unit is still missing, and search operation is still on to trace him.
There are reports of heavy damage to the Naxals too. The security forces also recovered the body of a woman naxal commander-- identified as Madavi Vanoja-- along with an Insas rifle, said the CRPF and the state police officials.
Besides, citing intelligence inputs, the CRPF said more than 12 Maoists were killed in the operation and over 16 faced grievous injuries. "All the injured Maoist cadres were learnt to be taken into two-three tractor towards Jabbamarka and Gomguda region in the area."
The gun battle took place on Saturday noon near Tekulgudem village under Tarrem police station in which eight personnel of Chhattisgarh's District Reserve Guard (DRG) and six of Special Task Force (STF), seven from CRPF's CoBRA and one from its Bastaria Battalion lost their lives.