13 naxals held in Sukma involved in the Burkapal attack, say police

Security forces have been continuously undertaking search operations in Chintalnar, Chintagufa and Jagargunda areas of the district.

As many as 13 Maoists, 11 of them allegedly involved in the Burkapal attack on CRPF personnel in April this year, were arrested from three separate places in Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hit Sukma district today, police said.

Representative Image | Paramilitary forces during an operation at Burha Pahar under Chippadohar police station area in Latehar. (Ht File Photo)

“While 11 cadres were apprehended from Jagargunda police station area, one each was held from Tongpal and Gadiras police station limits,” deputy inspector general of police (Dantewada range) Sundarraj P told PTI.

Security forces have been continuously undertaking search operations in Chintalnar, Chintagufa and Jagargunda areas of the district, around 400 kms away from here, following the Burkapal incident, he said.

In a similar operation today, a joint team of District Reserve Guard (DRG) and district force apprehended 11 ultras who were allegedly involved in ambushing and killing 25 CRPF troopers in Burkapal area under Chintagufa police station limits on April 24, the DIG said.

Of them, Hemla Aaytu (20) was an active member of LOS (local organisation squad) while Tami Budhru (40) was working as a Janmilitia deputy commander. Nine other ultras were working as members of Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisaan Mazdoor Sangthan (DAKMS), a frontal wing of Maoists, he added.

The Maoists arrested from Gadiras and Tongpal areas were identified as Madkami Hunga (30) and Madkami Mannu (35), he said.

Hunga is accused of looting polling material during the 2015 panchayat elections whereas Mannu was wanted in a case of murder.

All of them were produced before a local court which remanded them in judicial custody, the officer said.