India: 22 Security Members Killed in Maoist Attack

As many as 22 security personnel were killed in a central state of India in a deadly attack by the radical-left Maoist fighters, the security officials said. Security personnel owned by the elite cobra unit of central police reserves, district reserve guards, and special task forces were attacked on Saturday in Chhattisgarh, dominated by tribes during anti-rebellion operations.

“We can confirm that Maoist fighters have killed 22 Indian Force members,” said a senior government official in Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh, which is rich in minerals.

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They were killed in a shooting that lasted for almost four hours in the Sukma border district, 540 km (340 miles) south of Raipur. Om Prakash, a senior police officer in Raipur, said the preliminary operation to track one member of the lost security forces was being carried out.

The dead were the toughest for Indian security forces who fought against the left guerrillas since 2017. Foreign Minister Amit Shah said the government would not tolerate bloodshed, and “appropriate response will be given to prevent such attacks.”

Maoists, also known as Naxals, have carried out an armed rebellion against the government for decades. The left-line guerrilla group leaders said they fought on behalf of the country’s poorest, who did not benefit from a prolonged economic boom in the third-largest economy in Asia.

Since 1967 the group was seen as the biggest threat to the country’s internal security has confirmed control on extensive land plots in Central and East India, building what is called “red corridor”. The militant group operates from dense forests, and their operations on administration and Indian forces are enveloped in confidentiality. The group has not claimed responsibility for the latest attack.

Hours after the attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on Twitter that “sacrifice of martyrs who dared would never be forgotten. Hopefully, the injured recovered earlier.” Last month, five policemen were killed. Several others were injured in the explosion; in what the police said, Maoist’s attack targeted the bus that brought more than 20 security personnel.