Raipur: In a deadly assault on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) unit in Chhattisgarh, Maoists used crudely-made rocket-shaped barrels known as BGL (Barrel Grenade Launcher).
The barrels, alongside heavy gunfire, resulted in three CRPF personnel casualties and 15 others sustaining injuries.
The attack occurred in Tekalgudem village, situated along the borders of the Bijapur and Sukma districts in the Bastar region. They are located about 450 km south of Raipur.
"The CRPF has taken many fatal and non-fatal casualties while creating forward operating bases called FOBs. This incident is an addition to that," a senior CRPF commander stated.
The Barrel Grenade Launcher (BGL) is a country-made improvised ammunition developed by Naxals in 2021, and they deployed dozens of these during the Tekalgudem attack.
About half a dozen personnel suffered injuries from the explosion of these rockets, while the rest sustained bullet injuries. The BGLs, with explosives inside their iron casing and fins on their tail, are designed for flight.
The Tekalgudem area, dominated by the 1st battalion of the Maoists' People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), is notorious for executing audacious attacks on security forces, as seen in the April 2021 incident where 23 security personnel were killed.
The CRPF has been establishing forward operating bases (FOBs) in the region, with about 30 FOBs created in the Bastar region over the past three years. These FOBs serve to anchor security forces operating in Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected territories.
The attack targeted a team from the 201 CoBRA battalion, a jungle warfare unit of the CRPF, along with personnel from the 150th battalion of the CRPF and the state police.
The personnel killed in action include constables Devan C (201 CoBRA), Pawan Kumar (201 CoBRA), and Lambadhar Singha from the 150 CRPF battalion. Two CoBRA officers, Deputy Commandant Lakhveer and Assistant Commandant Rajesh Panchal, were among the injured.
In response, the security forces effectively retaliated, resulting in an estimated four Naxals killed, although their bodies have not been recovered as of now.