Gadchiroli: Maoists kill 15 commandos, torch 25 cars

A red alert was sounded in Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Bhandara, Gondia after 15 commandos and their driver was killed in Maharashtra on Wednesday by Maoists. An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off in a private vehicle as a C-60 Quick Response Team was on way to inspect a fleet of vehicles torched by Maoists earlier in the day.

State Governor C Vidyasagar Rao cancelled Maharashtra Day celebration scheduled at the Raj Bhavan in the evening. Security has been beefed up in the bordering districts and state Director General of Police Subodh Jaiswal will visit Gadchiroli on Thursday and submit his findings to the state government.

"I cannot call this an intelligence failure…," he said. "The Maharashtra police will take whatever action needed against such activities. We are prepared to give a befitting reply. Operations are on in the area to ensure there are no further casualties."

Earlier in the day, Naxals torched around 25 vehicles of a road construction company in Kurkheda tehsil.

"A group of Maoists gathered around 3.30 am at Dadapur where the construction of a national highway has been underway for a few months," said Shailesh Balkawade, Superintendent of Police, Gadchiroli.

"Standard Operating Procedures have been laid down in Gadchiroli," State Home department official said, "On Thursday, the state cabinet will review the ground situation and assess what went wrong. The government will take corrective steps in due course of time."

He informed that a prior slew of steps, including giving a free hand to the police to curb Maoists and expediting development projects and operational efficiency have helped to curb Naxal activities. Gadchiroli was part of the first phase of the general election held on 11 April.

— With agency inputs

Past Strikes

• April 9, 2019: BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi killed in Chhattisgarh
• March 12, 2017: 12 CRPF personnel killed in Chhattisgarh
• February 1, 2017: 7 police personnel killed in Odisha
• July 18, 2016: 10 CRPF commandos killed in Bihar
• March 31, 2016: Landmine kills 7 policemen in Chhattisgarh 
• April 13, 2015: Anti-landmine vehicle blown up, 5 killed
• May 11, 2014: 7 cops blown up in Gadchiroli

—RNA