Tragedy struck the Bastar region of India on Tuesday as three security personnel were killed and 14 others injured during a fierce encounter with Maoist insurgents. The clash occurred near a newly established police camp at the border of Sukma and Bijapur districts, an area notorious for insurgency-related violence.
The Tekulguhdam village, situated near the infamous Jagargunda hills on the border of Sukma and Bijapur, became a battleground when Maoist rebels opened fire on a security camp. This camp had been recently set up as part of efforts to maintain peace and security in the region.
Members of the COBRA elite unit of the CRPF, Special Task Force, and District Reserve Guards were on patrol near the Jonaguda-Aliguda region when they were ambushed by Naxalite insurgents. An exchange of gunfire ensued as the security forces retaliated against the attack.
In a statement, police reported that the Maoists not only engaged in direct gunfire but also detonated an IED and used a BGL (grenade launcher) against the security forces. The attack left one jawan with a bullet injury, while thirteen others suffered splinter injuries from the blast. Despite the severity of the incident, all injured personnel were declared to be out of danger after being airlifted to Raipur for treatment.
Tekulgudam is no stranger to violence. This is the same location where, in a devastating incident in 2021, 23 security personnel lost their lives, and 33 were injured in a Maoist ambush. It took the police two days to recover the bodies of the slain jawans following that attack.
The region is known to be under the influence of the dreaded Maoist commander Hidma, who is believed to orchestrate many of the insurgent activities in the area.
Bastar range Inspector General of Police P Sundarraj conveyed the determination of the security forces to establish peace and progress in the region. Despite the significant loss of life in previous ambushes, efforts to set up the police camp were aimed at enhancing the welfare of the local populace.
IG Sundarraj emphasized the resolve of the jawans to eradicate the Naxal problem from its roots and stated that further details of the ongoing encounter were awaited.
Hidma, the notorious Maoist leader, is believed to have masterminded numerous attacks against security forces, including the 2013 Jhiram Ghati massacre of Congress leaders and the Burkapal ambush in April 2017, which resulted in the martyrdom of 24 CRPF personnel.
With a bounty of Rs 45 lakh on his head, Hidma’s identity remains a mystery to the authorities, who only have a collection of photos of potential suspects. Known to be in his early fifties, short in stature, Hidma—also known as Deva—is the head of PLGA battalion No. 1 and the Maoists’ south sub-zonal command.
The recent encounter claimed the lives of seven jawans from the CRPF’s CoBRA unit, eight personnel from the District Reserve Guards, six from the STF, and one from the Bastariya battalion. Reports suggest that the attack was well-planned, with rebels launching blasts and firing from elevated positions to inflict maximum casualties.
This latest incident at Tekulguda village raises the death toll of security personnel in the area to 26, with 23 killed in the previous 2021 ambush, underscoring the ongoing challenges faced by Indian security forces in the fight against Maoist insurgents in the Bastar region.
