Central Reserve Police Force's jungle warfare unit were killed on Sunday when Naxalites detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, according to police. The blast occurred around 3 pm near Timmapuram village, situated between the Silger and Tekalgudem security camps, over 400 km from Raipur, the state capital, a senior police officer reported.
«An advance party of the 201st unit of Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) had launched patrolling from Silger camp under Jagargunda police station limits as a part of its Road Opening Party duty towards Tekalgudem,» he said.
«The security personnel were in a truck and on motorcycles,» he said.
«Naxalites triggered an IED blast targeting the truck that claimed the lives of constable Shailendra (29) and the vehicle driver Vishnu R (35),» he said.
«After being alerted about the blast, more forces were rushed to the spot and the bodies were being evacuated from the forest,» he said.
«A search operation is underway in the area,» he added.
Inputs from PTI