Security forces deny Maoist claim of aerial attack in Bastar

The outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoists) has claimed that the security forces carried out aerial strikes using a helicopter and drones in Chhattisgarh's South Bastar region where an encounter had taken place on Wednesday.

The Chhattisgarh police, however, said the claim seemed to be an attempt to mislead the local population, and the security forces never compromise on the safety of the local people during their operations.

A press release, purportedly issued by the Maoists, began to circulate on social media on Wednesday night following an encounter between the CoBRA commandos of the Central Reserve Police Force and Maoists in South Bastar.

The CRPF had on Wednesday said that a team of its elite CoBRA commandos was descending from a helicopter in the jungles along the border of Sukma and Bijapur districts when Maoists fired on them, and there was a gun-fight.

No commando was injured while efforts were on to gather information about casualties on the Maoist side, it had said.

Later, a one-page statement issued in the name of Ganga, secretary of the 'South Bastar division committee' of the Maoists, claimed that a joint team of the Chhattisgarh and Telangana police carried out shelling using drones and from a helicopter, targeting forests and hills in Pamed, Madkanguda, Mettaguda, Sakiler, Kannemarka, Rasapalli and other villages.

A similar strike had been carried out on April 15, 2022, it claimed.

The statement also referred to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent statement that efforts were on to finish off the Maoist menace before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The Bastar police on Thursday said it was verifying the press release.

"We are verifying the authenticity of the press release as well as the facts mentioned in it," inspector general of police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P said.

It appeared to be yet another attempt by the Maoists "to mislead the native population and cover up their losing ground and shaken morale of the cadres," he said.

"The state police and the security forces deployed in Bastar are committed to bringing an end to the nefarious intent and act of the banned CPI Maoist outfit. At the same time, there is no compromise in our policy of keeping the wellbeing and safety of our people as the epicenter of our plan and action," the IG added.