Maoists ambush patrolling CISF officers in Chhattisgarh

Seven persons, including six jawans of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), were killed on Sunday night in an ambush by Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district.

The jawans, including a head constable and five constables, were on patrol duty guarding the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) facility in Kirandul when armed Naxals ambushed them with heavy gunfire at around 0930pm.

"Six CISF men and a civilian driver have been killed. Additional forces have been rushed to the spot," Chhattisgarh ADGP (anti-naxal operations) Ram Nivas told PTI.

He said that an unknown number of jawans are reportedly injured in the ambush and are being rescued from the spot.

The jawans, onboard a Bolero vehicle being driven by a civilian driver, were killed after a brief retaliation. The security personnel were outnumbered.

The Kirandul-Bacheli mines of the NMDC in the jungles of Dantewada are a Naxal hotbed and frequent clashes between the naxals and the security forces are regular in the area.

As per preliminary reports, the Naxals also looted the weapons of the CISF party. Senior officials at CISF headquarters in Delhi and at Raipur said they were trying to ascertain details of the incident.