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Naxals today ambushed a patrol party and hit an air force helicopter which was evacuating security personnel after a gunbattle in the dense jungles of Sukma in Chhattisgarh, injuring six CRPF personnel and an IAF commando.

An encounter broke out when a squad of CRPF and state police was out for an operation in the Chintagufa area.

Officials said the Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper, which flew an evacuation sortie soon after the 3.30 PM incident, was also hit by bullets fired by Maoists.

‘A total of seven security personnel have been injured. All have bullet injuries. The injured include six CRPF personnel and one IAF commando,’ a senior officer deployed in the anti-Naxal operations grid said

CRPF Inspector General (Operations) in Delhi Zulfiquar Hasan told PTI that the encounter was "still on" and the forces had been undertaking an anti-Naxal operation in the area for the last six days.

Officials said all the injured have been safely evacuated and have been sent to a hospital in Jagdalpur.

The region is located around 450 km from state capital Raipur.

(AW: Arun Kumar)