Thirteen soldiers of the Central Reserve Police Force - including two officers - were killed in an ambush by Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, 450 km from state capital Raipur today. This was the biggest attack on the CRPF this year.The Naxals had used locals as a human shield, ambushing the CRPF team near a village, said official sources. The team did not retaliate to avoid civilian casualty.

Last month, Naxals ambushed a patrol party and hit an Indian Air Force helicopter, which was evacuating security personnel after a gun battle in the dense jungles of Sukma, injuring six CRPF personnel and an IAF commando.