2 policemen killed in Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh

Two police personnel were killed and as many injured in a Naxal attack in Maoist-hit Kanker district of Chhattisgarh on Saturday.

"The incident took place when a joint contingent of BSF and district force was on a combing operation in the jungles of Tadoki Police Station area of the district early Saturday morning," Kanker Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), CD Tondon told PTI over phone.

When the patrolling party reached the jungles of Shakti Ghat region, Naxals opened indiscriminate fire, killing the jawans of the district force, he said.

Those killed were identified as Sub Inspector Santosh Ekka and Head Constable Aliram Usendi.

The injured jawans -- Sub Inspector Ravindra Mandavi and Somaru Usendi -- have been shifted to Raipur for treatment, he said.

Soon after the attack, additional forces were sent to the spot, he said, adding the bodies of jawans have been retrieved from the jungle.

According to police, as a part of one day Bastar-bandh call on Saturday, ultras attacked the security personnel besides going on rampage in several parts of the region.

The bandh call was given by Naxals against the killing of 10 rebels last week in Sukma district by security forces, according to posters pasted in different places.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident in Kanker district, around 100 Naxals torched a bamboo depot of the forest department in Bande police station area on Friday night.

Security forces have been dispatched to Bande area, ASP Tandon said.

The exact loss in the fire incident can be ascertained after the inspection of the spot, he added.

Also, Naxals disrupted road traffic in Dantewada and Narayanpur district by felling trees in various important junctions.

In view of this, police have sounded an alert and additional police force has been deployed.