At least 22 CRPF personnel were martyred in an ambush in Sukma Chhatisgarh when they approached a site for an operation. The CRPF later said that 12-20 maoists must have also been killed in the gun battle.
CRPF said in a statement, “We salute the valour and steadfast devotion to duty of the Bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice for the nation while valiantly fighting the Maoists in an operation in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh yesterday. We stand with the families of our Bravehearts.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid tributes to the police personnel martyred in the encounter with naxalites that took place in Chhattisgarh on 3rd April. Shri Amit Shah said, “I want to assure the martyrs’ families and the country that the sacrifices the police personnel have made for the country will not go in vain.” The home minister added that as far as the casualties are concerned, I do not want to say anything yet because the search operation is going on.
PM Narendra Modi had also tweeted, “My thoughts are with the families of those martyred while fighting Maoists in Chhattisgarh. The sacrifices of the brave martyrs will never be forgotten. May the injured recover at the earliest.”
An Indian Express report quoted one of the injured as saying, “After we didn’t find anything at the original target, we were coming back when we were attacked. We don’t really know when the Naxals covered us from all sides. They had sophisticated weapons and they were using them in abundance.” The injured person is currently in in Bijapur district hospital.