Indiabulez at 13:47, 13 December 2025

2025-12-13T13:47:09Z

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{{Short description|Bomb attack in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Sukma attack
| partof = the [[Naxalite-Maoist insurgency]]
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| date = 13 March 2018
| place = [[Sukma district]], [[India]]
| territory =
| result =
| combatant1 = {{flagicon image|South Asian Communist Banner.svg}} [[Communist Party of India (Maoist)]]
| combatant2 = {{flag|India}}
| commander1 =
| commander2 =
| units1 =
| units2 = [[Central Reserve Police Force]] (CRPF)
| strength1 = 100<ref name="Times Now">{{cite news|title=Sukma Naxal attack: 9 CRPF jawans martyred as 100 Maoists ambush convoy; 'distressing', says Rajnath|url=http://www.timesnownews.com/india/video/central-reserve-police-force-chhattisgarh-sukma-crpf-attack-latest-news-today-naxalite-maoist-insurgency-communist-party-of-india-maoist/207196|accessdate=14 March 2018|work=Times Now|date=13 March 2018}}</ref>
| strength2 =
| casualties1 =
| casualties2 = 9 killed<br>6 wounded
| casualties3 =
| notes =
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Naxalite insurgency}}{{Campaignbox India terrorism}}
}}

On 13 March 2018, at least nine [[Central Reserve Police Force]] (CRPF) personnel were killed and six others were injured when [[Communist Party of India (Maoist)|Maoists]] blew up a [[mine-protected vehicle]] with an [[Improvised explosive device|IED]] in [[Sukma district]], [[Chhattisgarh]], India.<ref name=TOI>{{cite news|last1=Drolia|first1=Rashmi|title=9 CRPF jawans killed in Sukma Maoist attack|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/8-crpf-personnel-killed-in-a-naxal-attack-in-chhattisgarhs-sukma-district/articleshow/63282963.cms|accessdate=14 March 2018|work=Times of India|agency=TNN|date=14 March 2018}}</ref><ref name="HT">{{cite news|last1=Ritesh Mishra|first1=Rajesh Ahuja|title=Sukma attack: 9 CRPF jawans killed in encounter with Maoists after IED blows up truck|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/8-crpf-jawans-killed-in-blast-by-maoists-in-chhattisgarh-s-sukma/story-En00ju2Ta6si6hBYjqpgCL.html|accessdate=14 March 2018|work=Hindustan Times|date=13 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=9 government troops killed in Maoist attack in eastern India|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/government-troops-killed-maoist-attack-eastern-india-53702489|accessdate=14 March 2018|work=ABC News|agency=Associated Press|date=13 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180319183528/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/government-troops-killed-maoist-attack-eastern-india-53702489|archive-date=19 March 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="NDTV">{{cite news|title=Maoist Attack In Chhattisgarh's Sukma: 9 CRPF Personnel Killed, 4 Injured|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/sukma-attack-live-updates-8-crpf-personnel-killed-in-maoist-attack-1823270|accessdate=14 March 2018|work=NDTV|date=14 March 2018}}</ref><ref name="Express">{{cite news|title=Chhattisgarh Maoist attack HIGHLIGHTS: 9 CRPF personnel killed in IED blast|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/chhattisgarh-crpf-personnel-naxal-attack-sukma-district-killed-injured-5096179/|accessdate=14 March 2018|work=The Indian Express|date=13 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Sukma Attack: 9 CRPF Jawans Dead, CM Says Attack Was out of Panic|url=https://www.thequint.com/news/hot-news/crpf-jawans-killed-maoist-attack-sukma|accessdate=14 March 2018|work=The Quint}}</ref>

==Background==
The attack came almost eleven days after Indian security personnel killed 10 alleged [[Naxalite]]s in the forests of Chhattisgarh's [[Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh|Bijapur district]] on 2 March.<ref name="HT"/> It also came almost a year after at least 25 CRPF personnel were [[2017 Sukma attack|killed]] in one of the deadliest attacks by Maoist rebels.<ref name=TOI/>

==Incident==
On 13 March 2018, an [[Improvised explosive device|IED]] blast occurred when a contingent of CRPF's 212th battalion was patrolling in a [[mine-protected vehicle]] in the forest of [[Kistaram]] area in [[Sukma district]], [[Chhattisgarh]]. At least nine [[Central Reserve Police Force]] personnel were killed and six others were injured in the attack.<ref name="Times Now"/> The blast ripped the vehicle apart and some dead bodies were found 20 to 30 feet away from the blast site. The injured were airlifted for treatment in [[Raipur]].<ref name=TOI/>

According to Special Director General CRPF D. M. Awasthi, "There were about 11 men in the vehicle. A patrolling party was going from Kistaram to Palodi in an anti-landmine vehicle which was targeted by Naxals with an IED".<ref name="Times Now"/> He said that, "they were only 1km from the nearest camp in Palodi".<ref name=TOI/> According to him, "there is an exchange of fire almost on a daily basis. The security forces have been running an aggressive campaign against Naxalites".<ref name="Times Now"/>

The security forces are trying to figure out if the attack was carried out by a single group of Naxals or multiple.<ref name="Times Now"/>

==Arrests==
Seven individuals, identified by authorities as Komram Sade, Madkam Joga, Madkam Hindwa, Mandvi Sukka, Madkam Ganga, Vanjam Aayta and Vanjam Singha, have been arrested and are being investigated on suspicion of involvement with the attack. Athhorities assert that all seven members of the "Jan Militia". All are residents of Kistram in Sukma.<ref name="SukmaArrested">{{cite news|title=7 Maoists involved in last week attack on CRPF in Sukma arrested|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/7-maoists-involved-in-last-week-attack-on-crpf-in-sukma-arrested-police/story-U80W7VyvqGVVrR3braW6uN.html|accessdate=27 March 2018|publisher=Hindustan Times|date=25 March 2018}}</ref><ref name="ArrestedAttack">{{cite news|title=Seven Maoists Arrested for Sukma Attack|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/raipur/seven-maoists-arrested-for-sukma-attack/articleshow/63459071.cms|accessdate=27 March 2018|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=26 March 2018}}</ref>

==Reaction==
Indian President [[Ram Nath Kovind]] in a tweet expressed anguish at the attack and saluted the CRPF personnel who lost their lives. He also offered condolences to the bereaved families and stated that, "we remain firm in our resolve to take on and defeat all forms of terrorism".<ref name="Times Now"/>

Indian Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] in a tweet saluted the CRPF personnel who were killed in the attack and said that, "the nation stands shoulder to shoulder" with the families and friends of those killed "in this hour of grief".<ref>{{cite news|title=PM salutes CRPF men killed in Sukma blast|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/pti-feed/story/pm-salutes-crpf-men-killed-in-sukma-blast-1188903-2018-03-13|accessdate=14 March 2018|work=India Today|agency=PTI|date=13 March 2018}}</ref>

Indian Home Minister [[Rajnath Singh]] expressed distress in a tweet. He also expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in Sukma blast and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. He further stated that, "I spoke to DG CRPF regarding the Sukma incident and asked him to leave for Chhattisgarh".<ref name="Times Now"/>

Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh [[Raman Singh]] condemned the "cowardly attack".<ref name=TOI/>

[[Indian National Congress|Congress]] President [[Rahul Gandhi]] tweeted that the attack mirrors a "deteriorating internal security situation due to flawed policies". He called the attack "tragic" and expressed condolences to the families of those killed and wished speedy recovery to those injured.<ref name="Times Now"/>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Naxalite-Maoist insurgency}}

[[Category:Conflicts in 2018]]
[[Category:Communist Party of India (Maoist) attacks]]
[[Category:History of Chhattisgarh (1947–present)]]
[[Category:Naxalite–Maoist insurgency]]
[[Category:Sukma district]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in India in 2018]]
[[Category:March 2018 in India]]
[[Category:Political violence in India]]

2018 Sukma attack - Revision history

Indiabulez at 13:47, 13 December 2025