10 DRG jawans, driver killed in Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada

The attack was carried out under Aranpur police station area of Dantewada (Representative image)

Eleven persons, including 10 security personnel, were killed in a blast carried out by Naxal insurgents using an improvised explosive device (IED) in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada on April 26.

The deceased include 10 jawans of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), a special unit of the Chhattisgarh police that is involved in counter-insurgency operations against left-wing extremists. A driver attached to the unit was also killed in the attack, taking the death toll to 11.

The attack against the security personnel was carried out in Aranpur police station area of Dantewada, as per the information shared by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. The deceased jawans had reached the area for an anti-Naxal operation, he said.

"The news of the martyrdom of our 10 DRG jawans and a driver, who had arrived for an anti-Naxal operation after being alerted about the presence of Maoist cadre in Aranpur police station area of Dantewada, is very saddening. We share the grief of their families. May their soul rest in peace," Baghel tweeted.

While speaking to reporters in Raipur, Baghel assured swift action against those responsible for the attack. "This fight is in its last stage. Naxals would not be spared," he said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the chief minister over the phone shortly after the attack was reported, and assured him of all possible assistance from the Centre in the fight against the Naxal insurgents.

Anguished by the cowardly attack on the Chhattisgarh police at Dantewada. Have spoken to Chhattisgarh's Chief Minister and assured all possible assistance to the state government. My condolences to the bereaved family members of the martyred Jawans.

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 26, 2023

Naxals, also known as Maoist insurgents, have a presence in parts of central and eastern India. Some pockets of Chhattisgarh, including the Dantewada and Bastar regions, were considered to be their strongholds. The group, which claims to be fighting on behalf of the country's tribal and poorest population, has killed hundreds of security personnel over the past six decades.