Maoists open fire at chopper carrying injured CRPF jawans, gunner injured

RAIPUR: A flight gunner sustained bullet injuries when Maoists opened fire on the IAF helicopter Mi-17 which was on a rescue mission to evacuate five injured CRPF jawans in the densely forested Chintagufa region on Friday evening.
Talking to TOI, RK Vij, additional director general of police (Naxal operation) said, "The flight gunner Mukesh Tiwari who was on the doorside of helicopter has sustained minor bullet injury on his leg and was majorly saved because of his bullet-proof jacket."
Vij said that the helicopter had gone to evacuate the five CRPF jawans including a sub-inspector were injured in a gun battle during anti-Maoist operation in Chintagufa region of Sukma district. Maoists had opened fire at helicopter when jawans were on board and helicopter had taken off at around 5 o’clock.
While there were no other casualties, the jawans were safely airlifted to Jagdalpur hospital.
Vij said that a CRPF jawan Chandrashekhar was said to be critical and may be airlifted to Raipur for further treatment.
Five CRPF personnel, including a sub-inspector, were injured in a gun battle between security forces and Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hit Sukma district on Friday.
The face-off occurred while a joint squad of CRPF, its elite battalion-CoBRA (Compact Battalion for Resolute Action) and district force was carrying out an anti-Naxalite operation.
CRPF IG HS Sidhu based in Chhattisgarh was leading the operation. When the security forces were cordoning off a restive patch of Chintagufa, a group of armed cadres opened indiscriminate firing on them following which they retaliated.