Thirty security personnel including Rajnandgaon Superintendent of Police Vinod Kumar Choubey, 49, were killed today in three attacks at Madanwada village near Manpur-Mohalla in the district.

The attacks occurred in one of the most remote Naxal-hit areas where the communication network is dismally poor.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (anti-Naxalite operations) Pawan Deo said the Maoists had gunned down two security personnel near the Madanwada camp of the Chhattisgarh Special Armed Force (SAF) early in the morning.

On learning about the incident, IPS officer Choubey rushed to the spot with some security forces, which included the CRPF, Chhattisgarh Special Armed Forces and the district police force. About 200 Maoist cadres were reportedly waiting to ambush them. Choubey and 23 others were killed on the spot as the rebels triggered a powerful landmine blast and followed it up with indiscriminate firing.

Four more personnel died as the rebels ambushed another team of securitymen heading to Madanwada by a different route.

Inspector General of Police (Durg range) Mukesh Gupta said the security forces were outnumbered. He said preliminary inspection indicated that the Maoists had executed the attack with meticulous planning.

Meanwhile, local reports said the toll could be higher, but there was no official confirmation. About 13 security personnel, who left Avadhi police station to patrol the area after news of the attack, have reportedly not returned. But police officials said they could only confirm the report after relief and rescue operations get over.

At least a dozen personnel are reported to have sustained serious injuries. They have been admitted to hospitals in Manpur and Rajnandgaon. A helicopter has been sent to airlift the bodies from Manpur hospital to the Rajnandgaon district headquarters, which is about 70 kilometres away from the attack site.

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