3 CRPF men killed, 15 injured in Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh

Naxals fired dozens of rocket-shaped barrels called BGL and unleashed heavy gunfire in their lethal attack on a CRPF unit in Chhattisgarh on a day the paramilitary force opened a new camp in a remote area of the Bastar region, an official said Tuesday.

Three personnel of the central paramilitary force were killed and 15 others were injured during the gun-battle that took place in the Tekalgudem village, located along the borders of Bijapur and Sukma districts of the state.

Located about 450 kms south from state capital Raipur, the districts in the Maoist area are part of the most violent Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.


"The CRPF has taken many fatal and non-fatal casualties while creating forward operating bases called FOBs. This incident is an addition to that," a senior commander of the force said.

The Barrel Grenade Launcher (BGL) is a country-made improvised ammunition that the Naxals developed sometime in 2021.

They used dozen of these during the attack in Tekalgudem Tuesday, a senior security officer told PTI. About half-a-dozen personnel suffered mild to serious splinter injuries from the explosion of these rockets. The rest suffered bullet injuries, an another officer said.

The BGLs are filled with explosives inside their iron casing and have fins on their tail that help them take flight.

The area is dominated by the 1st battalion of the Maoists' People's Liberation Guerrilla Army.

The troops mounted effective retaliation and as per initial assessment, about four Naxals were killed. However, their bodies have not been recovered, the officials said.