Chhattisgarh Tragedy: Naxals used 50 kg of explosives to blow up DRG vehicle, blast created massive crater

Ten police personnel and a driver were killed in a landmine blast in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district on Wednesday. The guerrillas of banned outfit CPI Maoists blew up a vehicle carrying jawans of state police's District Reserve Guard (DRG) on Aranpur-Sameli road of Aranpur police station limits Dantewada district.

The high intensity blast made a deep crater on the road meanwhile the vehicle jumped several feet in the air before coming to the ground.

It has been assumed that the Naxals might have used 50 kgs of explosive to carry out the deadly attack. It was the biggest strike on the security forces in the state in the last two years, security experts said.

IED used in explosion

The high intensity blast was carried out using an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), took place under Aranpur police station area around 1 pm when a team of the state police's District Reserve Guard (DRG) was out on an anti-Naxal operation, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P said.

After the blast, a security forces team was dispatched to the affected site to carry out rescue operations, the Police Officer said.

PM Modi, CM Baghel express grief over incident

However, after the blast Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Prime Minister Modi also expressed their grief over the unprecedented incident which led to death of the 11 jawans including the driver and prayed to God to provide courage to the victim families to bear the loss.

"I am under grief from knowing about the shocking incident in Aranpur in which 10 DRG jawans and one driver were martyred. We all the people of the state offer humble tribute to the departed souls and pray to God to give their families strength to bear the loss," CM Baghel said.

'Maoists will pay for this'

However, apart from it, the CM also criticized the brutal attack carried out by the Maoists and indicated they have to pay for this as the fight against the Naxals have entered into its last phase.

Meanwhile, on the issue it was informed that Home Minister Amit Shah also queried Chhattisgarh Home Minister Tamaradhwaj Sahu and asked him to file a report.

List of jawans martyred in attack

Head constable Joga Sodhi, Munna Ram Kadti, Santosh Tamo, constable Dulgo Mandavi, Lakhmu Markam, Joga Kawasi, Hariram Mandavi, secret police Raju Ram Kartam, Jayram Podiyam, Jagdish Kawsi, driver Dhaniram Yadav.