In Chhattisgarh, 73 CRPF including a district police constable were gunned down by the Naxals in Dantewada district on Tuesday morning. The security personnel were on a joint "Operation Green Hunt" offensive in the thick forests of Mukrana. The incident took place between 6 AM and 7 AM this morning when nearly 80 personnel comprising CRPF and state police were returning after opening a road for the troops to begin an operation against Naxals.<br/><br/>Dantewada Superintendent of Police Amresh Mishra said the Naxals first blew up a vehicle carrying the CRPF personnel near Chintalnar-Tarmetla village in the district. Immediately after the blast, the CRPF personnel and a few police personnel tried to take cover when they came under heavy fire from hundreds of Naxals, well entrenched on the adjacent hillock. The CRPF team had been camping in the interiors of Tarmetla jungles for the last three days as part of a combing operation and area domination exercise, Mishra said.<br/><br/>Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called Home Minister P Chidambaram over telephone to make an assessment of the situation. Both of them expressed shock over the attack and grief over the loss of lives. Prime Minister called it "horrific" incident. Mr. Chidambaram said it showed the brutality and savagery of the Maoists. He said, something must have gone drastically wrong in the joint operation as the personnel seemed to have walked into a trap.<br/><br/>Inspector General R K Vij said, bodies of the 73 personnel have been recovered from the site of the attack suspected to have been carried out by about 1000 Naxals. The Naxals had planted IEDs which blew up an anti-mine vehicle killing the lone occupant, the driver. This was followed heavy exchange of fire between the remaining CRPF personnel and the Maoists. Eight of the injured CRPF men have been evacuated for treatment from the forest area. <br/><br/>CRPF Director General Vikram Srivastava, who rushed from the national capital to the scene, said the CRPF men were in the forests for operational duty when the Naxals attacked. <br/><br/>State Chief Minister Raman Singh called a meeting of top officials for discuss the strategy in the aftermath of dastardly attack. He said, this incident showed the real face of Naxalites.<br/><br/>Additional reinforcements have already been sent and search operations are on in the area. Director General of Police Viswa Ranjan said, helicopters were pressed into service to evacuate the injured and bring back the bodies. <br/><br/>The operation to rescue injured jawans was over and the bodies were being airlifted. The attack comes two days after Maoists triggered a land mine blast in Orissa's Koraput district, killing 11 security personnel of the elite anti-Naxal Special Operations Group.