Maoist ambush kills 10 police personnel & driver in Chhattisgarh

New Delhi: A deadly Maoist ambush killed ten policemen and a driver in Chhattisgarh on Wednesday. The attack involved blasting a huge and powerful 50kg improvised explosive device (IED), which created a massive pit on the road and uprooted trees, NDTV reported.

According to the sources, the police troop from District Reserve Guard (DRG) were travelling in a rented mini-van. The explosion must have flung the vehicle, which does not have ballistic support, to at least 20 feet.

The blast has created a crater at the ambush site in Dantewada districts, and visuals of the same have surfaced. The assaulters must have used a huge quantity of explosives to trigger the blast.

The DRG team was returning after conducting an anti-Maoist operation when the attack happened.

Further, NDTV learned that special security forces who were tasked to combat Maoists are looking for the assaulters in the area, which is a tri-junction of three states.

Police told ANI that the attack was a desperate attempt by the group to control the area since they were already in a retreat after the strong regular operations by the security forces in recent times.

Inspector General of Police of Bastar range, Sundarraj P, told ANI that more than 400 Maoists have been surrendering every year after the government's rehabilitation policy. According to him, most of the Maoist leaders are now from other states such as Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.