The biggest ever Maoist attack on a political party enacted at Darbha valley in restive Bastar, Chhattisgarh Saturday was not a random action of the insurgents but a well planned and coordinated operation.
According to the eye witnesses, there were 250 Maoists between 19 to 24 years of age, dressed as Bastar villagers. Most of them were carrying traditional arms while around 100 hardcore cadre were equipped with modern rifles and hand grenades.
It is also clear that the focus of attackers was on selected leaders - Mahendra Karma and Nand Kumar Patel as they were repeatedly asking for the duo as soon as the convoy of Congress leaders was ambushed at Jhiram valley, near Darbha.
According to eyewitnesses, while the insurgents left common workers after firing some bullets on them as well as on their vehicles, they started celebrating and dancing by encircling him as soon as they identified Mahendra Karma who was top on their hit list for quite some time and had escaped several bid of the Maoists to kill him given the fact that Karma was associated with anti Maoist movement and was said to be the brain behind Salwa Judum movement.
Their aversion for Karma can be gauged from the fact that even if Karma surrendered before them asking the insurgents to spare others, the rebels sprayed almost 200 rounds on him and also pierced butt of their riffles in his body disfiguring it beyond recognition.
The insurgents also took Nand Kumar Patel and his son Dinesh to some 100 metres distance away by tying their hands after confirming the identity, the duo was
shot dead.