RAIPUR: A week after the Sukma encounter, which killed 12 personnel of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the left-wing extremists released a press statement carrying an image of assembled modern weapons they looted from the dead CRPF personnel.
The picture along with the statement released by the South Bastar Divisional Committee of CPI (Maoist) showed four AK-47 assault rifles, six INSAS rifles, One Light Machine Gun (LMG), one Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) two wireless sets and over 1130 bullet cartridges taken away by the rebels.
The Maoists praised their cadres of People’s liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) -- the armed wing of the banned organisation-- that "carried out" the attack on a road opening party, killing twelve CRPF jawans in Sukma on March 11.
Meanwhile, the Bastar police dubbed the Maoist press note as “nothing more than propaganda”.
The statement by the Red brigade also carries allegations of security forces’ inflicting atrocities on local tribal villagers in Bastar, south Chhattisgarh.
This is the third major encounter this month in the restive Bastar zone. On Thursday, two members of outlawed CPI (Maoist) were killed in Narayanpur and on March 11 the armed rebels ambushed a road opening party (ROP) killing twelve CRPF jawans in Sukma.
Last week, the conflict zone of Bastar witnessed three major encounters in which 14 security personnel lost their lives and at least eight Maoists were killed.
The left-wing extremism have presence in at least 16 of the 27 districts of the State but are most active in south Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region.