Cobra commando martyred, 9 injured in Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh

(PTI) Raipur, Ta. Sunday, November 29, 2020

An IED improvised explosive device (IED) blast by the Maoists in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh on Saturday killed an officer of the CRPF's Jungle Warfare Unit while nine other commandos were injured.

The injured were shifted to an Indian Air Force helicopter at midnight after an IED exploded in the state's Chintalnar forest area around 9 pm on Saturday, security officials said.

Assistant Commandant Nitin P. Bhalerao, 33, succumbed to his injuries early Sunday morning, while nine other commandos, including Dinesh Kumar Sindh, a team leader second-in-command rand officer, were injured in the attack. Seven of the commandos are being treated at a hospital in Raipur.

Meanwhile, two jawans have been admitted to the unit hospital at Chinnalnar in South Bastar area of ​​the state. Sukma district is located at a distance of about 400 km from Raipur, the capital city of the state. The injured are from the 206th Battalion of the Commando Battalion for Resolution Action (COBRA).

At the time of the blast, a joint team of Cobra and local police were engaged in an area domination exercise. Five more CRPF battalions will be deployed on anti-Maoist duty in Chhattisgarh with the recent approval of the Union Home Ministry.

AP Maheshwari, Director General, CRPF, who was on a morning flight from Delhi to Raipur, laid a wreath at the body of Sadgat Assistant Commandant Bhalerao at the force camp here.

Late Bhalerao, a resident of Nashik, Maharashtra, proved to be the best in various military operations. He joined the Cobra last year after joining the CRPF in 2010. His family includes his mother, wife and six-year-old daughter.