9 CRPF men killed in blast triggered by Naxals in Chhattisgarh

NEW DELHI: The CRPF on Tuesday suffered a serious hit when nine of its personnel were killed and about ten seriously injured, after suspected Maoists blew up their mine-proof vehicle (MPV) with an improvised explosive device (IED) in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district.

Maoists attacked the vehicle of the 212 CRPF Battalion’s patrolling team which was going from Kistaram to Palodi, special director general of Chhattisgarh police (anti-Naxal operations) DM Awasthi told the media.

The blast flung the MPV several feet into the air, officials said.


Union home minister Rajnath Singh described the death of CRPF personnel as “deeply distressing” and directed CRPF DG Bhatnagar to rush to Chhattisgarh. "My heartfelt condolences to the families of those personnel who lost their lives in Sukma blast. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured jawans," Singh said.

The attack brought again the vulnerability of MPVs to IED blasts and the inability of the forces to come up with an alternative secure platform, since such mine-proof vehicles have been blown up by Naxals in the past as well.

The MPVs that the CRPF is using are made by the Ordnance Factories Board’s vehicle factory in Jabalpur.

The paramilitary force has repeatedly pointed out design flaw in the MPV, which is not meant to withstand the “propulsive explosion” of IEDs used by Naxals, CRPF sources said. Its architecture is meant to handle only anti-tank mines, said a senior officer.

On the use of MPVs in Naxal areas, CRPF director-general RR Bhatnagar said the vehicles had been sparingly used for operational purposes. "The troops who came under attack were travelling in the MPV and going towards a newly opened post in Paloodi.”