In the Chhattisgarh district of Bastar on Thursday, an improvised explosive device (IED) blew up their vehicle, killing ten policemen and their driver, according to officials. The policemen claimed that they had just returned from an anti-Maoist operation that had been started as a result of intelligence reports. The police officers were members of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), a specialised unit of the Chhattisgarh police made up primarily of local tribal people who have received special training to fight Maoists. The DRG has played a key role in several successful operations against the insurgents in Bastar, a hotspot of left-wing extremism. Following the attack, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and assured him of all possible assistance. Over six decades, the Maoists, also known as Naxals, have waged an armed insurgency against the government, killing hundreds of people. They claim to be fighting for the poorest of the poor, who have been left out of the country’s economic boom.
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