Three security personnel were injured in an encounter with Maoist rebels in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh on Thursday.
The encounter is still underway in Sukma which is a Maoist stronghold and a part of the expansive red corridor which spreads across east, south and central parts of India.
A team of Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) Cobra 208 battalion was conducting a search operation after receiving a tip-off about the presence of Maoists in the district when the Maoists opened fire as soon as they saw the security personnel.
An injured security official, Muthu Pandey said it was an ambush attack. The injured were given first aid and rushed to Shree Narayana Hospital in Raipur for further treatment.
Two of the three security personnel were seriously injured. The Maoists, also known as ‘Naxals’ in India, seek the violent overthrow of the Indian state and have fought authorities for decades, particularly in rural areas of central and eastern India where they enjoy some support.