Chopper carrying CoBRA commandos crash-lands in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma
Two officers and a commando of the elite jungle warfare unit of the CoBRA were among five people injured in the crash that took place near the Chintagupha camp of the paramilitary force, deep in the Maoist hotbed of south Bastar.
A private helicopter carrying CoBRA commandos crashlanded on Wednesday near a CRPF camp in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district, resulting in minor injuries to five occupants.
Officials said two officers and a commando of the elite jungle warfare unit of the CoBRA were among the five people who received injuries in the crash that took place around 5.30pm near the Chintagupha camp of the paramilitary force, deep in the Maoist hotbed of south Bastar.
They said the pilot and the engineer of the Bell-206 helicopter, hired on lease by the CRPF for anti-Maoist operations in the state, were also injured.
“All the three officials of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action, which is CoBRA, and the two crew members are safe now,” a senior officer said.
They said an inquiry is on to ascertain the reason of the crash, which could be a technical snag.
The commanding officer of a CoBRA battalion deployed in Chhattisgarh, his second-in-command and a jawan had gone to Chintagupha for a meeting, they said.
CRPF Director General Sudeep Lakhtakia was present in the area for reviewing operations in the aftermath of the April 24 ambush.
The Chintagupha camp of the Central Reserve Police Force is deep inside Sukma and two days ago, Maoists killed 25 CRPF personnel in a deadly ambush near here in an area called Burkapal.
Get Current Updates on Election 2024, India News, Lok Sabha Election 2024 LIVE along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.