Naxal attack: Virat Kohli, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir pay homage to martyrs

22 security personnel lost their lives in the border region at Chhattisgarh's Bijapur and Sukma districts during a fierce gun-battle with Naxal. (ANI Photo)

Hours after 22 security personnel lost their lives in the border region at Chhattisgarh's Bijapur and Sukma districts following a fierce gun-battle between the army troops and naxals, India cricket skipper Virat Kohli and former cricketers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir paid homage to the martyrs.  

The India skipper in a tweet said termed the news as 'absolutely tragic' and wrote: "Absolutely tragic to hear about the loss of lives of our brave jawans. My condolences to the bereaved families." 

Absolutely tragic to hear about the loss of lives of our brave jawans. My condolences to the bereaved families.  — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) April 4, 2021

Meanwhile, Sehwag and Gambhir also expressed their condolences and left emotional note on their respective Twitter handles. Here are the tweets: 

Heart breaking to hear the news of loss of 22 security personnel and injuries to many in the #NaxalAttack in Sukma in Chhattisgarh. Nation is indebted to the jawans who laid down their lives. Naman to the martyrs. — Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) April 4, 2021

Nation bows down to the sacrifice of our bravehearts. Enemy within is as barbaric as enemy outside. Won’t let this sacrifice go in vain. #NaxalAttack

— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) April 4, 2021

In a major joint offensive, separate joint teams of security forces, comprising over 2,000 personnel, had launched an anti-Naxal operation from Bijapur and Sukma districts in the South Bastar forests, considered as the Maoist stronghold, on Friday night.

The personnel belonging to the CRPF, its elite unit CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action), the DRG and the Special Task Force (STF) were involved in the operation launched from five places - Tarrem, Usoor and Pamed (in Bijapur), and Minpa and Narsapuram (in Sukma).

When the patrolling team that was dispatched from Tarrem was advancing through the forest near Jonaguda, located around 500 km away from the state capital Raipur, it was ambushed by cadres of PLGA (Peoples' Liberation Guerilla Army) battalion of Maoists that led to gun-battle. 

- with PTI inputs