Dantewada, Chhattisgarh, February 28
In stepped-up violence, Naxalites ambushed two trucks killing at least 25 tribesmen and injuring 34 others, besides hijacking a third truck carrying about 125 villagers in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district.While the two trucks were targeted in land-mine explosion at Darbhaguda village on the Sukma-Konta road around 11.30 am, a third truck carrying about 125 villagers returning home from an anti-Naxalite meeting at Dornapal village was taken to dense forest by the Maoists, police sources said.
However, initial reports said about 50 persons were feared killed in the landmine explosion at a remote village, about 150 km from Dantewada in south Bastar.
DIG of police P.J. Langkumer confirmed the recovery of 25 bodies, including that of a woman, and said the death toll was likely to go up as search for more bodies was in progress.
Commandos of the elite National Security Guard, besides jawans of the CRPF and district police reached the spot, he said.
The seriously injured were being airlifted to Bhadrachalam in Andhra Pradesh for treatment, Mr Langkumer said.
A rattled state government held an emergency meeting at Raipur to deal with the emergency situation, official sources said.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Mahendra Karma said the state government had failed to provide adequate security to the villagers attending anti-Naxalite drive “Salwa Judum”. Security lapses led to the blast, he added. — UNI
