24 CRPF Jawans Martyred In An Encounter With Naxals In Sukma 

At least 24 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been killed today (24 April) after Naxals attacked them in the Sukma district of Chhattisgarh. The 74 battalion of the CPRF had earlier today engaged in an encounter where seven jawans were injured with four being in a critical state. 90 jawans were part of the battalion, their weapons were also reported stolen.

An emergency meeting was convened by Chief Minister Raman Singh following the attack. The injured were hospitalised in Raipur.

At the same time, 10 kg of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) planted by Maosists were defused by the Bomb Disposal Squad in Dantewada, around 80 km away.

Last month, eleven CRPF jawans were martyred at the hands of Maoists in Sukma and had their weapons stolen, a day after a bridge over the Sabari river was inaugurated. The bridge reduced the distance from Sukma to Podia in Odisha to 3km from the earlier 120km.

With inputs from ANI