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Koraput (Orissa): Atleast 11 CISF jawans and 7 Maoists had been killed while
Maoists attack on a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) camp near a Nalco-run mine in Orissa's Koraput district on Sunday night, police said.
"The rebels surrounded the CISF camp at Panchpatmali Hill at about 9.15 pm. An exchange of fire between CISF personnel and the rebels is on," District Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar said.
"We are not able to communicate with the camp. We are moving additional police forces to the region," he said, adding that he was not in a position to disclose more details.
The Left wing guerillas who have given a call to boycott the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls slated for April 16 and 23, went on rampage at Damanjodi and reportedly gun down two jawans of Central Industrial Security Forces, who were manning the buxite mines located few meters away from public sector unit, National Aluminum Company Limited (NALCO).
The Hilltop Bauxite Mines is Asia's largest bauxite mine and is owned by the NALCO. The Maoists could have targeted the mines because of the huge amount of explosives and weapons stored there.
According to sources, some 200 Left wing ultras including 20 women cadres are being reportedly taken hostage of more than three hundred employees of the mine. The rebels looted arms and ammunition worth of Rs 50 crore from the CISF barrack.
Few minutes after the incident, police headquarter in Cuttack, helplessly dispatched IGP (operations) Sudhanshu Sarangi to the spot to further intensify encounter against the rebels who were hiding in the hilltop.
Two platoons of SOG and another two platoons of CRPF personnel have been rushed to the area. The Maoists have already blown up the Mobile Tower in the area.
The attack took place at around 9.30 PM. Five to seven CISF jawans may have been killed. According to latest reports, the Maoists or Naxalites have looted all arms and ammunition of CISF armory at the Hilltop Bauxite Mines.
It may mention here that in a meticulously planned offensive, the rebels had spread panic in February 2004. Over 1,000 Maoists seized 524 weapons after raiding the police head quarters, an armoury, treasury, jail and a police station in 2004.
In Ramagiri Udayagiri town of Gajapati district, Maoists killed two constables and took away 28 automatic weapons, including an LMG, after carrying out simultaneous raids on police establishments.
