16 jawans killed in brutal Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh

Police sources said the deaths of the securitymen were caused due to bullet injuries.

Chattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has cancelled his scheduled programme and convened an emergency meeting of security officials in the state capital here.

“The area is heavily mined and hence reinforcements are treading cautiously,” CRPF Inspector General (Operations) in Delhi Zulfiquar Hasan told PTI.

The incident took place in the same area where Naxals had killed 76 police personnel in April 2010, the biggest blow to security forces till this time in anti-Naxal operations.

The squad that included 30 CRPF and 14 state police personnel was conducting a road opening task when Naxals triggered landmine blasts and firing.

Sources said two IAF helicopters have been sent in from Jagdalpur and Raipur to the ambush area with reinforcements drawn from the CoBRA battalion and CRPF.