‘In a first, Naxalites used both wait, bait tactics in March 21 attack on security personnel’
| Date :24-Mar-2020 |
Dr Varnika Sharma
Staff Reporter :
Raipur
After months of unusual calm, Naxalites have made their existence felt just to prove that they haven’t lost their foothold in State. This is why the Naxals carried out the deadliest attack in Sukma district on March 21, said military psychologist and defence expert Dr Varnika Sharma. For the first time, Naxalites used wait and bait ambush in their attack, said Dr Sharma adding, there was 60 per cent Wait ambush and 40 per cent Bait ambush aimed at providing extensive damage to the security personnel.
Moreover, it was favourable for the Naxalites to deal a heavy blow on the security personnel as the entire police and administrative machineries were busy in making essential arrangements for preventing further spread of coronavirus. The Naxalites used their ununiformed frontal organisation in executing the Wait and Bait ambush, said Dr Sharma and added that Frontal organisation works on the pattern of NGO. It is difficult to identify the people of Frontal organisation, she said. Military psychologist Dr Sharma feels that the security personnel, who were already living under the phobia of coronavirus, might not be psychologically hundred percent ready take such a big challenge imposed on them by the Naxalites. Despite this, the security personnel fought brave and prevented the Naxalites from causing more damage through their guerrilla attack, said Dr Sharma.
She said that a joint team of the DRG, STF, and the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) of the CRPF moved into the jungle after receiving intelligence inputs about Maoist presence. The Naxals laid an ambush for security personnel when they were returning in the afternoon after the encounter had ended. The Naxals had first used Bait tactic to make the security personnel come into the jungle and waited for the search operation to get over, she said, adding the Naxals had adopted a different strategy this time as they dispersed in different directons and waited on the hilltops so that they remain invisible to the security personnel. She said that the Sukma incident was the deadliest against the security forces almost two years after another deadly attack carried out by the Naxals in the same area in July 2018, leading to death of 24 CRPF personnel.
Two SP level officials posted in Sukma, Bijapur
Raipur :
DGP D M Awasthi has ordered posting of two senior officials in Sukma and Bijapur for assisting in Anti Naxal Operations. According to the order issued by DGP D M Awasthi, S P Mahasamund Jitendra Shukla and K S Dhruv, Commandant, 10th Battalion Chhattisgarh Armed Force, Surguja has been posted in Sukma and Bijapur respectively for assisting in Anti-Naxal Operations.