In a deadly ambush by Naxals, 25 CRPF personnel were today killed and six other injured in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district.

The encounter with 74 battalion of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) occurred at Kala Pathar near Chintagufa in Sukma, the worst Maoist violence-affected district in south Bastar area of the state.

They were around 300 & we were around 150, we kept firing. I shot 3-4 Naxals in the chest: CRPF constable Sher Mohammed injured in #Sukma pic.twitter.com/9LUK7ENRMX - ANI (@ANI_news) April 24, 2017

The Naxals laid an ambush on a patrolling party of the CRPF near Burkapal village which was supporting road construction work in the area when they were attacked.

A team of 90 CRPF jawans were sanitising a road which is being built in the area when around a large group of around 300 naxals, divided into multiple groups, attacked the CRPF party, sources said.

The injured were evacuated by helicopter and CoBRA teams of CRPF were sent as reinforcements and were conducting search operations.

A group of seven CRPF personnel including a commander went missing after the attack but were traced out later on.

Jawans injured in CRPF-Naxals encounter in Chhattisgarh's Sukma shifted to hospital in Raipur. pic.twitter.com/6x5zZKANVy ; ANI (@ANI_news) April 24, 2017

According to reports, the gunbattle lasted for an hour. The Naxals looted all arms and ammunition of the CRPF jawans.

Injured CRPF jawan Sher Mohammed said, "First Naxals sent villagers to trace our location, then almost 300 Naxals attacked us. We also fired and killed many. They were around 300 and we were around 150, we kept firing. I shot 3-4 Naxals in the chest".

Immediately after the incident, the home secretary called a high-level meeting of additional secretary and joint secretary of Naxal division to discuss the Naxal menace.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh cut short his Delhi visit and returned to Raipur where he called an emergency meeting in the aftermath of the attack.

Extremely pained to know about the killing of CRPF personnel in Sukma. My tributes to the martyrs and condolences to their families. 1/2 - Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) April 24, 2017

Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said it is a big tragedy and a setback for the forces. "We will react only when we have full details," the minister said when asked by reporters to comment on the Naxal ambush.

Twelve personnel of the CRPF were killed in the same district early this year in a deadly Naxal ambush.

(Inputs from PTI)

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