CHHATTISGARH: On a day when Union Home Minister Rajanth Singh is scheduled to arrive in Chhattisgarh, seven security personnel were on Sunday killed in a blast on a police vehicle in Dantewada district. Expressing deep anguish, the Home Minister said that the naxals targeted the jawans by planting IED rather than fighting them face to face.
"It is a sad incident where 6 jawans were killed in an IED blast in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada. The naxals targeted the jawans by planting IED rather than fighting them face to face," Rajnath Singh told news agency ANI.
Taking to Twitter, he said, "Deeply anguished to know about the death of Chhattisgarh police personnel in an IED blast in Dantewada today. My thoughts are with the bereaved families of the martyred police personnel."
Five personnel died on the spot and two others were rushed to the National Mineral Development Corporation's hospital at Kirandul. One of them died during treatment at the hospital while another was airlifted to Raipur, where he later died.
Those killed from the DF were identified as Head Constable Ramkumar Yadav, Constable Tikeshwar Dhruv and Assistant Constable Shalik Ram Sinha. The official said that from the CAF's 16th battalion, Head Constable Vikram Yadav and constables Rajesh Kumar Singh and Ravinath Patel were killed in the attack. CAF Constable Arjun Rajbhar, who was airlifted to state capital Raipur.
Naxals carried out a land mine blast around 12 noon when a joint team of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) and the District Force (DF) was patrolling the Cholnar-Kirandul road to provide security to trucks carrying construction material for road works between Kirandul and Palnar villages, a senior police official said.
The intensity of the blast, which took place near a culvert, was strong enough to toss the police vehicle in a roadside ditch, he said.
Rajanth Singh is scheduled to arrive in Surguja district on Sunday evening and attend the passing out parade of the CRPF's Bastariya battalion which will take place on Monday.
(With inputs from PTI)
