Three ITBP men killed in Chhattisgarh landmine blast
By IANSFriday, October 8, 2010
RAIPUR - Three Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel were killed and another injured Friday in a landmine blast triggered by Maoist militants in Chhattisgarh. This is the first attack by the Maoists on ITBP personnel.
The attack was carried out near Kohaka village in Manpur region of Rajnandgaon district, close to Maharashtra border, some 200 km west of the state capital Raipur.
“It was a landmine attack. The ITBP men were in a jeep and had been on assignment of area domination drive,” Badri Narayan Meena, Rajnandgaon district Superintendent of police, told IANS over phone.
The ITBP vehicle was tossed up in the air by the impact of the blast.
Officials here at police headquarters said a head constable and two constables were killed while a critically-injured policeman was rushed to a government hospital.
The attack took place on a day when the newly-appointed Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) K. Vijay Kumar reached Chhattisgarh on his maiden visit to Indias worst Leftist insurgency-hit state to take stock of the security scenario.
The new CRPF chief met Chief Minister Raman Singh at the state secretariat and discussed the Maoist issue in the backdrop of CRPF being targetted by rebels in the state mainly in Bastar region.
Maoists have a strong presence in 13 of the state’s total 18 districts while they dominate in seven districts including Rajnandgaon that borders Maharashtras Gadchiroli district.
