Polling will be held in 18 constituencies of eight Naxal-affected districts - Bastar, Kanker, Sukma, Bijapur, Dantewada, Narayanpur, Kondagaon and Rajnandgaon - under unprecedented security cover. Over 1.2 lakh policemen and paramilitary forces have been deployed and in the Maoist-hit areas, there is one securityperson for every three voters. In a first, drones are being used for aerial surveillance. Maoists, who have called for a boycott of elections, have killed 14 people, including a Doordarshan cameraman, in five attacks in the last 16 days.
ADG, anti-Maoist operations, DM Awasthi said six IEDs were triggered on Sunday between Gome and Gattakal areas in Koyelibada region of Kanker to target a BSF squad. Sub-inspector Singh, from Rajasthan's Bharatpur district, sustained grievous injuries and was evacuated to Udanpur BSF camp but died during treatment.
In Bijapur's Bedre area, Maoists tried to ambush an STF team in the forests of Markur Kerpe around 9am but had to beat a hasty retreat deeper in the jungle with the forces hitting back. During sanitisation of the combat zone, troops found the body of a Maoist with a 12-bore gun and a cache of explosives. Police believe they hit two more Maoists, who were dragged into forests by the cadres. None of the STF men were injured.
from Times of India https://ift.tt/2PoAMOu
