Kolkata: In the biggest strike by Maoists in West Bengal, at least 24 Eastern Frontier Rifle (EFR) jawans were killed on Monday when the ultras overran their camp at Silda in West Midnapore after setting it on fire.
"At least 24 jawans of EFR have been killed in the attack on the Silda camp," District Magistrate N S Nigam told PTI from Midnapore.
The Maoists launched another attack on a CRPF camp at Dharampur in the district tonight. A group of 40 armed Maoists attacked the camp at around 8.30 pm in Lalgarh engaging the jawans in an exchange of fire.
Nigam said at least 100 Maoists armed with sophisticated weapons came on motorcycles and four-wheelers, exploded landmines near the Silda camp before barging inside with a volley of fire around 5.30 p.m.(IST).
There were 51 EFR jawans and officers in the camp when the attack took place, sources said.
The attack took most of the jawans by surprise as they were either "whiling away their time in the camp or busy in the kitchen cooking", a senior police officer said.
The attack came barely a week after Union Home Minister P Chidambaram's meeting here to draw up a joint strategy to counter them.
Maoist leader Kishenji claimed responsibility for the attack.
"We have attacked the camp and this is our answer to Chidambaram's 'Operation Green Hunt' and unless the Centre stops this inhuman military operation, we are going to answer this way only," Kishenji told PTI from an undisclosed location.
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