5 Naxals arrested from Sukma in connection with Kistaram blast in which 9 CRPF men were killed

SUKMA: Five Naxals were on Thursday arrested from Sukma in Chhattisgarh in connection with the Kistaram blast in March in which nine Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed. The arrests were made following a joint operation by the local police, CRPF and CoBRA commando. 

In March, nine CRPF personnel were killed and two others injured after Maoists triggered a powerful landmine blast blowing up their MPV between Kistaram and Palodi paramilitary camps in Sukma. The attack took place at around 12:30 pm when troops of the CRPF's 212th battalion were out on an operation. The security men were reportedly conducting an area-domination operation in the forest area when the attackers blew up the CRPF vehicle. The blast was facilitated through multiple improvised explosive devices (IEDs) which were concealed under the dirt track. 

In a separate incident, a CoBRA commando of the CRPF was killed and a policeman injured during an encounter with Naxals in Saraikela area of Jharkhand on Thursday. The gunbattle began early morning at about 7 am in the Dalbhaga-Arki area of the Saraikela-Kharsawan district when a joint team of the 209th battalion of the CoBRA (commando battalion for resolute action) and Jharkhand Police was out for operation.

A commando has been killed while a state police personnel has been injured during the encounter. The encounter took place in Saraikela, the administrative headquarter of Saraikela Kharsawan district which is about 135-km from the state capital.

Heavy firing was on at the time when this report was filed.