All the 17 bodies of the missing security personnelfollowing a gunbattle with Maoists in forests of Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hitSukma district were recovered on Sunday, police said.
Of the 17 bodies, 12 are of District Reserve Guard (DRG)personnel and five of Special Task Force (STF), state police sources told IANSrequesting anonymity.
As per the police, the bodies were recovered during a searchoperation conducted by a joint team of DRG, STF and Commando Battalion forResolute Action (CoBRA), an elite unit of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).The search operation was conducted in Sukma’s forested area around 12 noon onSunday.
The slain security personnel were among a group of nearly600 personnel belonging to a joint team of DRG, STF and CoBRA unit of CRPF thathad launched an anti-Maoist operation from three sides towards Elmagunda inSukma on Saturday.
The operation was conducted by the security personnel basedon inputs about a huge gathering of Maoists there. The encounter took placearound 2.30 p.m. near Korajguda hills in Chintagufa area when the joint team ofsecurity forces was out on the operation.
When the team was advancing through Korajguda hills, locatedaround 450 km from the state capital Raipur, the exchange of fire broke outbetween the two sides near Minpa village by a group of around 250 heavily armedultras, leaving 15 personnel injured.
The gun battle lasted about two-and-a-half hours followingwhich 17 personnel were found to be missing.
Earlier, the police in a statement said 14 police personnelwere injured and 13 were missing after the gunfight.
The injured personnel were airlifted to Raipur and admittedto a private hospital where the condition of two of them is stated to becritical, an official said.