Decade’s bloodiest year for CRPF

With the killing of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel rising steadily by the year, the war against Maoists has made 2010 the bloodiest year for the force in the past decade.

Going by the statistics, the force has lost 119 officers and personnel till June 30 this year in the anti-Maoist operations as compared to those in 2009 when nearly 58 personnel were killed in violence.

Security experts believe that more lethal attacks would take place against the security forces in the coming days as Maoists have tweaked their strategy a little and are now relying on ambush and landmine attacks rather than raids at security camps.

“The killing of 26 CRPF personnel indicates this change in strategy by Maoists. The security men were part of a roadwork’s inaugural party and were securing the road so that people with medical problems and jawans going on leave could use it to reach the city.

Unsuspecting of an ambush close to their camp, they were targeted by Maoists,” a senior officer, who is part of the anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh, said.

The data for the deaths of personnel for 2008 stood at 53 while in 2007 only 35 personnel had died in the entire year. “We have lost most number of personnel this year,” the officer added.

“Maoists are trying to demoralise the force with these kinds of attacks. In the Dantewada attack that took place on April 6 killing 75 personnel, Maoists had chopped off the head of the deputy commandant and we have still not managed to recover the body part.

There is an attempt to scare the forces and demoralise them,” the officer said.

He said Maoists were purposely not getting gun battles with security forces and only ambushing them. “The recent documents recovered from Maoists reveal that Maoists have asked their cadre not to get into gun fights with security forces. In this attack also, after the initial losses our force retaliated and killed 15 Maoists,” he said.