NEW DELHI, July 31 (Xinhua) -- A paramilitary trooper belonging to Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was killed Wednesday after Naxals triggered an improvised explosive device (IED) in central Indian state of Chattisgarh, police said.
The CRPF patrol team was targeted at Pushpal in Bastar in Dantewada, about 278 km south of Raipur, the capital city of Chhattisgarh.
"This morning an IED blast triggered by Naxals targeted a CRPF patrol party, during which one paramilitary trooper was killed," a police official said. "The patrol party was returning to its base camp when it came under the attack."
Reports said the paramilitary troopers had launched a search operation on Tuesday night in the forests along the border of Bastar and Dantewada districts.
"We salute the bravery and valor of Roshan Kumar of CRPF who attained martyrdom today in a targeted IED attack by Maoists in Bastar, Chhattisgarh," a statement issued by CRPF said
Following the attack reinforcements of police and paramilitary were rushed to the area.
Naxalites are active in more than a third of India's 600-odd districts across central and eastern India.
India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh once termed the Naxalite movement as India's "greatest internal security challenge."
New Delhi has deployed several companies of its paramilitary forces to take on Naxals in their strongholds.
