300 Naxals attacked us, after some villagers informed them: Injured CRPF jawan reveals how Sukma encounter erupted

"We killed hoards among them. I personally shot dead many Naxals," injured CRPF jawan Sher Mohammad said.

Raipur, April 24: 25 jawans of the 74th battalion of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) lost their lives in a deadly encounter with Naxal militants in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh. The Prime Minister’s Office is being briefed about the left-wing extremist attack, which caused the maximum number of casualties since 2010. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assigned MoS Hansraj Ahir to take stock of the condition on ground. Apart from the 25 jawans killed, 7 are stated to be critically injured. One of the injured jawans, Sher Mohammad, is stated to be out of danger. While speaking to the press, he revealed some crucial details about how the encounter erupted.

‘They were 300, we were 150’

Sher Mohammad, the jawan who survived the Maoist onslaught, revealed that nearly 300 militants fired at the jawans. The number of CRPF personnel present at the site of encounter was not more than 150, he claimed. “They were around 300 and we were around 150, we kept firing. I shot 3-4 Naxals in the chest,” he was quoted as saying by ANI. However, reports have pegged the figure of total number jawans at 90. READ: Sukma encounter and threat of left-wing extremism: Timeline of Naxal attacks since 2008

‘Villagers informed them about our location’

Mohammad blamed some Naxal-aligned villagers of Sukma for revealing their location to the Maoist militia. “Some villagers were sent by the Naxalites to ascertain our position and strength. In some while, several militants, along with the armed rural naxalites came to attack us. Their women wing – Black Militias, were also present.”

‘But we launched a befitting reply. Several Naxalites were killed’

Mohammed further added the CRPF jawans launched a befitting retaliation against the aggression shown by Naxals. “We killed hoards among them. I personally shot dead many Naxals. Some among their women wing – Black Militia cadres were also shot dead by us,” he said.

The jawan opines that CRPF casualties would not had been reported, had they suspected the Naxal attack in due time. “We were in Sukma to assist in the road construction work. There was no patrolling underway. We were not suspecting such an assault from the Naxals,” he added, further confirming that the militants struck them at nearly 12:25 PM.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to visit Raipur, where he would hold talks with Chief Minister Raman Singh and other senior officials.

Raman Singh held talks with senior CRPF personnel on Monday night, to review the security situation in the Maoist-hit areas of the state. “This attack was planned to deter us from suppressing left-wing extremism in the Maoist hotbed regions. But we will not stop. The efforts to counter extremism would be undertaken. The sacrifice of jawans would not go in vain,” he said, while addressing the press before the meet.