Nine CRPF men were killed as their mine-protected vehicle was blasted by an improvised explosive device on Tuesday.
A CRPF team that bravely fought Naxals in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday morning and returned safely to its camp had no respite and was back at the same spot hours later — helplessly seeing bodies of their colleagues.
Soon after the heavy gunfight, the same CRPF team escorted the Sukma Superintendent of Police for inspection of a new camp site when it heard a blast.
"We reached there within 20 minutes but by then fate had played its part and all we saw was bodies on the road."
The description is part of a first-hand account of a CRPF officer who was in the middle of the ambush and successfully combated about 150 armed rebels, ensuring there was no loss of life.
It took them about 20 minutes to reach the spot but by then it was too late, as bodies lay on the road exactly where they faced heavy firing a little earlier.
The CRPF party that was following the SP's convoy became a soft target as it did not have a road-opening party meant to provide security to troop movement.
Nine CRPF men were killed as their mine-protected vehicle was blasted by an improvised explosive device on Tuesday.
Sources said the visit to the new camp site should have been cancelled after the first attack, particularly because there was intelligence about the presence of over 100 Maoists in the area.
"There is resentment among troops on the ground on why the SP's visit to the new camp site was not cancelled since an attack took place only four hours earlier," said an official, tracking developments.
The CRPF team that took on the armed Naxals at Palodi around 7.30 am on Tmorning had trekked all day, patrolling the jungles in the area.
"We were exhausted after walking in the sun all day without a break," the account of the officer, part of the ambush, said.
They were informed at night that early morning they have to reach Potakpally as the Sukma SP and the CRPF Deputy Inspector General were scheduled to visit the new camp site in the Maoist "core area" headed by their top leader Hidma.
The teams were divided as some walked and other took motorbikes.
Soon at a point called Kasaram nallah, they came under heavy fire from both sides of the road. As they retaliated to the firing, taking shelter behind trees, the Naxals were forced to retreat as one of them was injured.
The CRPF team was back to their base -- the Kistaram camp safely.
At around 11.30 am, the Sukma SP requested the CRPF team that fought Naxals bravely accompany him.
As they went past the spot where the first attack took place in Palodi, gun shots and a blast were heard.
Two recent alerts were issued about the movement of armed Maoists in the area that could target troop movement.
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