Security forces had an exchange of fire with Maoists on Wednesday at the spot where the rebels had torched a bus a day before in Narayanpur district of Bastar, police said.
A joint team of Special Task Force (STF) and the District Reserve Group (DRG) were combing the area to prevent any untoward incident, according to Narayanpur District Superintendent of Police (SP) Santosh Singh.
It may be recalled that Maoists had torched a bus after asking passengers to alight in Narayanpur district of Bastar. When the private bus was on its way to Orchha from Narayanpur, a group of Maoists, some of them armed, stopped the vehicle last night near Jhorigaon village, according to Narayanpur District Superintendent of Police, Santosh Singh.
The rebels asked the passengers to alight and then set the bus ablaze, he said. The exact number of passengers is not known but all of them are reported safe, the SP said.
Security personnel rushed to the spot soon after receiving an alert. A combing operation has been launched in the region to nab the attackers, he said.
According to Singh, the Maoists are frustrated with the road construction work in the region, and therefore are committing such acts.
“The ultras have been opposing road construction from Narayanpur to Orchha in Abujhmaad which is considered as a Maoist den,” Singh said.
“Despite their disruption, construction has been completed in around 45-km patch of the total 66 kms, under security cover of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and district force,” he said.
The construction of the remaining portion is underway, the SP said.