RANCHI: A woman was leading the attack on security personnel at Karmatiya forest in Latehar that killed 11 CRPF jawans. Two Maoists were also killed in return fire on Monday and 16 security personnel were injured. The Maoists on Tuesday killed two civilians taking the death toll to 15. Combing operation was intensified following the second attack.

The two civilians were killed and one critically injured when bombs exploded on Tuesday afternoon during search for more bodies inside the forest, said Latehar SP Kranti Kumar Garhdeshi. The Maoists had planted the bombs inside the dead bodies, which were ripped to pieces the moment the search team tried to recover them. The Latehar SP said the civilians were killed while they were accompanying police personnel.

“A woman was leading the heavily armed rebel squad and caused maximum damage to the security forces,” said Manoj Kumar, an injured jawan of Jharkhand Jaguar.

Kumar, who was airlifted from Daltonganj hospital and shifted to Apollo Hospital in Ranchi on Tuesday morning, added that the woman rebel fought for over five hours till she was hit by bullets. “She sustained bullet injuries and cried for help,” he added. Other jawans also confirmed that they heard a female voice screaming instructions to other cadres.

Around 300 CRPF and Jharkhand Jaguar jawans treaded deep into the Karmatiya jungles, about 250km from Ranchi as part of a combing operation when Maoists started indiscriminate firing from tree tops and hills.

The jawans’ little knowledge of the terrain put them in a disadvantageous position and they had to take cover behind trees, which proved fatal. The Maoists, who acted according to strategy, were sitting camouflaged on tree tops and caught the jawans unawares.

The advanced under-barrel grenade launcher, which fires ammunition common to the multi-grenade launcher, could not help the jawans much as several groups of the rebels were operating from beyond its range. “We also used rocket launchers which could do no harm to the rebels as they were on a low range,” said a jawan, who did not wish to be named. “The rocket launchers blasted beneath the hills instead of going straight to the target,” another jawan said.

The casualties would have been many times higher but the bullet-proof jackets, which the jawans were wearing, left many with minor injuries.

The jawans said there was only one narrow path that cut through the forest to end near a row of hills occupied by the Maoists. “The Maoists did not react until over 200 jawans entered into the plains full of trees. Suddenly the rebels, led by a woman Maoist, positioned atop the hills started raining bullets on us,” said Manoj Kumar, who was hit by two bullets on his right rib.

Subodh Saw of CRPF 134 battalion said utter confusion was created within the jawans as many of the rebels were dressed like CRPF and Jharkhand Jaguar commandos. One company of CRPF 134 battalion was moving in the front. A company of Jharkhand Jaguar was in the middle and a group of CRPF 112 battalion was at the back.

CRPF DIG B K Sharma, who was supervising the operation, said minute details of the operation and the faults would be obtained after the jawans are interviewed post-treatment.

Over 600 Maoists, led by senior leaders, were present in the Latehar jungles and around 30 of them have been injured. CPI (Maoists) core committee member Arvindji was the leader behind the attacks, said police sources.