13 naxals arrested from Chhatisgarh, 2 involved in Sukma attack

Raipur: As many as 13 Naxalites, two of them allegedly involved in the deadly attack on the CRPF personnel on April 24, were on Thursday arrested from two places in Chhattisgarh's insurgency hit Sukma district.

While 11 cadres were apprehended from Chintagufa police station area, two others were held from Chintalnar police station limits by a joint team of security forces, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Dantewada range) Sundarraj P said.

The composite squad of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and district force was out on a search operation in the forests of Chintagufa and Chintalnar, around 450 km from Raipur.

Two ultras, identified as Madkam Deva (23) and Podiyam Joga (25), members of Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisaan Mazdoor Sangthan (DAKMS) - a frontal wing of Maoists, were arrested from Chintalnar, the DIG said.

The duo was allegedly involved in the attack on the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel of the 74th battalion on April 24 in Burkapal area wherein 25 troopers were killed, he said.

Rest of the 11 arrested ultras were also active as lower rung members of the banned outfit and allegedly involved in the incident of triggering a blast coupled with firing on a police party in Bagdeguda area of Chintagufa on May 19, the officer said.

"Moreover, all of them were allegedly involved in several other naxal incidents, including attacks on police party and attempt to murder," the DIG said.

They were produced before a local court, which remanded them in judicial custody, he said. Meanwhile, security forces busted a 'transit camp' of Naxalites following an exchange of fire in Bastar district on Thursday.

A team of the Special Task Force (STF) and the District Reserve Guard (DRG) of police was conducting a combing operation in the interior area within Mardoom police station limits, Superintendent of Police Sheikh Arif Hussain said.

A gun-battle broke out when the security forces were cordoning off forests between Kodenar and Kudur after receiving inputs about movement of ultras.

Rebels soon fled, following which the security team came upon a Naxal hide-out, used as a 'transit camp' while on the move, and recovered a muzzle-loading gun, a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) and gelatin rods, the SP said.