10 jawans, civilian driver killed in IED explosion in Chhattisgarh

A senior official said, the incident took place under Aranpur police station limits when a team of the state police's District Reserve Guard (DRG) was returning after an anti-Naxalite operation,

Kothagudem: As many as 10 District Reserve Guard jawans and a civilian driver were killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast triggered by CPI (Maoist) cadres under Aranpur police station limits of Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh district on Wednesday.

The incident occurred when the Chhattisgarh DRG personnel were returning to their base after a combing operation in the area following a tip off about the presence of Maoists in Aranpur forests, Bastar range DIG Sunderraj P informed the media.

Head constables Goga Sodi, Munna Ram Kadthi and Santhosh Thamo, constables Dulgo Mandvi, Lakmu Makram, Joga Kavvasi and Hariram Mandvi, DRG informers (jawans) Raju Ram Phartam, Jayaram Podiam and Jagdish Kavvasi including the driver Dhaniram Yadav were killed on the spot in the blast.

The blast left a huge crater nearly 10 feet deep and completely destroyed a mini-goods van in which the jawans were travelling. Maoists from Darbha division area were said to be involved in the incident, Sunderraj said.

The IED blast was said to be the biggest strike by the Maoists on the security forces in the State in the last two years. Following the incident, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

Baghel in a statement said the fight against naxals was in its final stages and the naxals would not be spared under any circumstances. There would be coordinated efforts to eliminate naxalism in the State, he said.