8 CRPF Jawans killed in Naxal ambush (Update)

    Dantewada, May 8, 2010: Maoists today triggered a powerful land mine blast on a National Highway killing eight CRPF personnel in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, police said.

     “In total Eight security personnel of the Central Para military Forces, travelling in a bullet proof vehicle, were killed in a land mine blast at Pedakodepal area of Bijapur district, about 550 km south of Raipur ” Additional Director General (Anti-Naxal Operation) Ramniwas told ChhattisgarhTopNews.Com.

      Initially six security personnel were killed but in the late evening the toll had gone up to eight, he said adding among the killed was an officer, three head constables and four constables.

      The improvised explosive devise of the Maoists was so powerful that the blast had left an eight feet deep crater on the National Highway 16, the road that connects Chhattisgarh with neighbouring Andhra Pradesh state, police said.

     The incident took place about nine km from the district headquarters Bijapur when the security personnel were returning from the CRPF base camps in Basaguda and Awapalli, they said.

    The naxal guerrillas have once again demonstrated their war skill in the violence hit south Chhattisgarh area of Bastar. On April 6 last they had ambushed and killed 76 security personnel in Tadmetla jungle of Dantewada district.

      Bijapur and Dantewada are the strong hold of the Maoists and the blast had created a strong impact on the security personnel as it was apparently for the first time any land mine was blasted off on any of the National Highways of the violence hit Chhattisgarh.