Amit Shah pays respect to martyrs killed in Naxal Attack in Chhattisgarh, to hold high-level meet

RAIPUR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel today paid tribute to security personnel, who lost their lives in the Maoist attack.

The Ministers attended the wreath-laying ceremony for 14 jawans in Police Lines in Jagdalpur.

At least 22 soldiers were killed in the deadly Maoist attack on Saturday in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region. Shah is expected to visit the site where an encounter took place between the security personnel and Maoists in a forest along the border between the Bijapur and Sukma districts.

The Home Minister will also hold a high-level review meeting and meet the jawans who were injured in the Maiost attack led by the commander of battalion number-1 Madvi Hidma.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, senior officials of the state police and the Central Reserve Police Force will attend the meeting.

Earlier, on Sunday, Shah has cut short his Assam election campaign and held a meeting a New Delhi with senior officers, including home secretary Ajay Bhalla, intelligence bureau director Arvind Kumar and senior CRPF officials. He stated that a befitting response will be given to those responsible for the Maoist attack.

Reportedly, the deadly encounter took place with Maoists along the Sukma-Bijapur border in Chattisgarh during the wee hours of April 4. Security forces while hunting for Maoist commander Hidma were ambushed, following which an encounter broke out. The security forces were met with nearly 400 Maoists that opened fire upon the jawans. According to the initial reports, the encounter lasted for over 3 hours and severe damage was inflicted on the Maoists as well.

The fierce gunbattle claimed 22 jawans life and 32 sustained severe injuries while one soldier is still missing.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at the CRPF chief's statement that the operation was not an intel failure as around 30 Maoists were killed. "If there was no intelligence failure then a 1:1 death ratio means it was a poorly designed and incompetently executed operation. Our Jawans are not cannon fodder to be martyred at will," Gandhi wrote on Twitter.

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