In a chilling reminder of the Naxal menace, eight jawans of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and a civilian driver lost their lives when Naxals detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Monday, officials confirmed.
The attack occurred near Ambeli village under the Kutru police station jurisdiction, as the security personnel were returning in a Scorpio vehicle after completing an anti-Naxalite operation, said Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P.
The DRG, a specialized unit of the state police, bore the brunt of this calculated strike, marking the deadliest Naxal assault on security forces in two years.
“This is a significant loss, and it underlines the continuing threat posed by Naxals,” an official stated, drawing parallels to the April 26, 2023, attack in neighboring Dantewada district, where ten police personnel and a civilian driver were killed in a similar IED blast targeting a convoy.
As the nation mourns the fallen heroes, questions are being raised about the effectiveness of counter-insurgency measures in the red corridor. The incident has once again put the spotlight on the relentless Naxal threat and the challenges faced by security forces operating in these hostile regions.
