The body of a Maoist was found on Thursday night at the spot where 25 personnel of the Central Reserved Police Force had been killed earlier this week in an ambush by the rebels in the Burkapal area of Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district, PTI reported.
“The unidentified body was found in the jungle just 500 metres away from the spot where the gun battle had taken place between the CRPF and the rebels on April 24,” Special Director General of Police (anti-Naxal operations) D M Awasthi told the news agency. He added that security forces were carrying out combing operations in Burkapal.
The New Indian Express reported that at least 10 Maoists were killed in the encounter, however, this is the first report about a body found by the security forces. PTI said that the Maoists had managed to drag the bodies inside the forest. Earlier reports suggested that five rebels were injured in the incident.
While the incident has led to the Centre reviewing its strategy against the Maosists in the country, the rebels have reportedly said that the attack on the CRPF personnel was provoked by the soldiers’ sexually abusing tribal women in conflict areas.
The soldiers killed in Monday’s attack belonged to CRPF’s 74th Battalion and were helping the local administration in road construction work when they were attacked. Some reports had said they were attacked during lunch time, and were thus caught off guard. The attack could have also been because of an “operational lapse”, the CRPF has found.
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