Maoists were signaled about DRG's presence in van: Preliminary assessment
A preliminary assessment by the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) into the bomb attack in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada on Wednesday revealed that Maoists received signals regarding the jawans' presence in the vehicle prior to the attack. Locals seeking donations had stopped the van roughly 100 meter from the site of the blast, which killed ten District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel and a driver.
Why does this story matter?
This initial assessment report puts the spotlight on the residents of southern Chhatisgarh, mostly tribal, who have long been accused of harboring Maoists. The Maoists have holed up in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region for years and have been warring with security forces over controlling the region. Reportedly, of the 10 soldiers killed in the blast, five were surrendered Maoists who joined the police.
Naxals unsuccessfully attacked Bijapur MLA Vikram Mandavi last week
It has also come to light that another vehicle in the convoy carrying two arrestees, suspected to be Maoists, crossed the point of the blast unharmed, minutes ahead of the van. Notably, on April 18, Maoists also attacked the convoy of Bijapur Congress MLA Vikram Mandavi on the Gangaloor-Padeda road. Investigation revealed no one was injured in the attack as the assailant's gun jammed.
DRG personnel reached Aranpur for special operation
After the attack on Mandavi, DRG personnel reached Aranpur in hired civilian vehicles on Monday from their headquarters in Dantewada town to carry out a special operation. On Wednesday, the personnel encountered Maoists around 7 km from Aranpur based on a tip-off. Two suspected Maoists suffered gunshot wounds in the clash, and the convoy was taking them to Dantewada town when it was attacked.
Protocol not followed despite threat by Naxalites
Toward the end of March, central intelligence agencies flagged a letter issued by Maoists threatening to attack security forces for its anti-Naxal operations. The agencies informed the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and state police that Naxalites were planning to target security forces. According to protocol, security forces must move forward during an operation only after specific intelligence inputs and sanitization of the route.
Repeat of 2021 Bukintor attack
The preliminary assessment also noted that the incident was a repeat of the 2021 Bukintor attack between Camp Kadenar and Kanhargaon, in which five jawans were killed and 13 were injured. Notably, the DRG is a state anti-Maoist unit made up primarily of surrendered Maoists.
