Radical left-wing rebels are suspected to be behind a lethal improvised explosive device (IED) blast that killed ten security personnel and a driver, who were traveling in a rented minivan, in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday, the police said.
The incident occurred at Aranpur, which is about 450km (279 miles) from the state capital, Raipur, in the tribal-dominated Dantewada district – a hotbed for Maoist insurgency – according to the police. So far, none of the multiple factions of rebels have claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s incident.
Speaking to the media, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel vowed that the perpetrators wouldn’t be spared and paid his condolences to the bereaved families, who performed the last rites of their loved ones on Thursday. Wednesday’s attack was the biggest attack on the security forces in the state – which goes to polls later this year – in the past two years. On April 3, 2021, the ultra-left insurgents killed 22 security personnel in an ambush along the border of the Sukma and Bijapur districts in Chhattisgarh.
The slain security personnel belonged to the District Reserve Guard (DRG), a state force that has been raised to combat anti-Maoist operations. The DRG personnel had left for Aranpur following a tip-off of the presence of the rebels in the area. The IED went off on the road when they were returning to their headquarters.
Explosives weighing 50kg (110 lbs), were purportedly used in the attack. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), a paramilitary outfit, and DRG personnel have been sent to the spot to search for the perpetrators.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condemned the attack and paid his tributes to the families of the victims. Indian Federal Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah, who is in charge of internal security, also spoke with CM Baghel, who belongs to the Opposition Congress party, and assured him of all assistance.
Left-wing extremist groups have been one of India’s biggest internal security challenges for decades, although the Indian government says their attacks are on the decline. Data released by CRPF authorities earlier this year showed that the number of attacks dropped by 77% in 2022, as compared to 2010. According to the government, left-wing extremists claimed the lives of 98 civilians and security forces last year, as compared to 147 in 2021.
