Chhattisgarh Maoist attack: Search Ops continues near encounter site, CRPF DG reaches Bijapur

The officials said that helicopters and drones have been pressed into action for the search operation to locate the missing security personnel.

Meanwhile, CRPF Director General Kuldeep Singh has reached Bijapur and taking stock of the situations and likely to meet state Police Chief, STF DG later in the day.

So far, 22 security personnel have been killed including eight from CRPF’s CoBRA unit and 14 STF jawans while 31 jawans have been admitted to the hospital. According to the officials, one security personnel has been missing and one body of a woman ultra was recovered on Saturday from the encounter site.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has cut short his poll campaign in Assam and has been returning to Delhi in wake of the Naxal attack.

He is likely to hold a review meeting in the evening after taking stock of the situation with NSA, security forces Chiefs, and Intelligence Bureau Chief, an official said adding that the Government will also seek a report from the agencies as to when went wrong during the security forces’ strategies including the well laid Standard Operative Procedures.

At around noon on Saturday, an encounter broke out between the combined patrolling team of Chhattisgarh’s STF, CRPF’s CoBRA, District Reserve Guard (DRG), and some security personnel of Bastaria battalion of CRPFwas dispatched from Tarrem and ultras belonging to PLGA (Peoples' Liberation Guerilla Army) battalion of Maoists near Jonaguda village under Jagargunda police station area in Sukma district and reportedly the encounter continued for 3- 4 hours.

Security sources have confirmed that the Maoists have also suffered a large causality in the gun battle but the numbers are yet to be ascertained. Normally, " Maoists do not leave their buddies injured or dead after the encounter but the inputs suggest at least 15 Naxalites have been killed in this operation, they further said.