Naxals fire at IAF chopper carrying top CRPF officials

Top CRPF officials had a narrow escape when suspected Naxals fired at an IAF chopper carrying them while it was landing at Chintagufa in Sukma district in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, official sources said on Monday.

Sources in the Union Home Ministry said the incident took place on Saturday when the helicopter with CRPF Inspector General H S Sidhu on board was landing.

Sidhu had gone to oversee an ongoing operation against Naxals in the region.

The suspected Maoists fired at the chopper from a nearby hillock, the sources said, adding that two bullets hit the rotor.

The fire was returned immediately and there was no causality.

The sources said all standard operating procedures had been followed before landing of the helicopter in the area.

They said there was no damage to the aircraft which took off after some time carrying CRPF personnel who were to be deployed deep inside Bastar jungle for anti-Maoist operations.

The IAF helicopter has been leased to para-military forces for anti-Naxal operation.

Naxals had abducted Sukma Collector Alex Paul Menon from the region after killing two of his bodyguards two years ago. The place is located 300 km from state capital Raipur.

There have been at least 10 instances of Naxals making attempts to fire at helicopters in Sukma, Dantewada and Jagdalpur districts of Chhattisgarh.