22  security personnel have lost their lives following the encounter with Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Saturday. Security forces have launched an operation along the Sukma-Bijapur border, where an intense face-off led to the sacrifice of soldiers and left 32 others injured, with 1 jawan missing.

This comes almost a month after Varavara Rao was released on a 6-month bail and in a time when Chhattisgarh CM is campaigning for his party in Assam while Forces continue to lose lives in his state.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel today and took stock of the situation. He also directed the Director-General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Kuldeep Singh to visit Chhattisgarh to assess the situation.

The Indian Air Force on Saturday deployed Mi-17 helicopters to help the paramilitary forces in rescue operations in Sukma. Three jawans of the District Reserve Guard were airlifted to Raipur for treatment from Sukma. 

In a statement to the media, Chief Minister Baghel said the villagers were disenchanted with the Maoists due to the continuous disruption in the development work in the areas. The villagers are now joining the mainstream of development.

Health, education and other facilities are becoming accessible to the remote villages and people are being alienated from the Maoist ideology. To counter this, the Maoists are trying to make their presence known by carrying out such attacks.

2 out of 5 security personnel who died in the attack are from CRPF. 16 out of total of 32 injured are CRPF personnel. Officials said a total of 24 injured jawans were brought to the Bijapur hospital. At least seven were referred to a hospital in Raipur for treatment. 7 officers who were admitted to the hospital are out of danger.