The bodies of the CRPF jawans killed in a powerful landmine blast in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Saturday will be sent to their respective home states today. 8 jawans of the 168 battalion of the CRPF including a sub-inspector were killed in the landmine blast triggered by the naxalites near Padekodepal last evening. While 7 dead bodies of the jawans have been recovered, the body of another is still missing. Meanwhile, chief minister Dr.Raman Singh has expressed grief over the incident saying that the fight against naxals will continue. AIR Correspondent citing police sources reports that the naxalites had used a huge quantity of ammonium nitrate to trigger the blast which was massive enough to kill all the eight jawans travelling in the landmine protected vehicle. The blast was so powerful that the vehicle went into smithereens leaving only its chassis.<br/>Before being airlifted to capital Raipur, the martyred jawans were given a guard of honour in Bijapur this morning by top officials of the CRPF, state police and of the administration. The deceased jawans belong to states like Assam, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. These jawans fell victim to a landmine blast triggered by the naxalites in the Padekodepal jungle, not very far from the Bijapur district headquarters, as they were coming towards Bijapur last evening. Luckily enough, the other two vehicles being boarded by the CRPF jawans that followed the ill-fated one escaped the blast. It may be mentioned here that of late the naxalites have been targeting the CRPF jawans, especially after the centre-backed anti naxalite operations, dubbed by the media as ‘green hunt’, intensified in the state towards the end of last year. The most lethal of the naxal attack till date killing 75 CRPF jawans was orchestrated in the Tadmetla jungle of the Dantewada district on the 6th of last month.<br/>
News On AIR | May 9, 2010 8:33 PM
8 CRPF Jawans killed in naxal attack, high alert sounded in Chhattisgarh