The death toll in Friday's Naxal attack on policemen in Chhattisgarh has gone up to 12, including 11 policemen and a civilian, police said on Saturday.
Additional Director General of Police (Naxal operation) of Chhattisgarh, Ramnivas said.
He said that the number of fatalities in Friday's Maoist attack on a police party in Metlaperu village forests under Bhadrakali police station area in the district, has risen to 12, while two persons are undergoing treatment at a hospital in Jagdalpur.
Meanwhile, condemning the attack on policemen, Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh today held a meeting with the state officials to discuss the security measures, top officials said.
The chief minister directed the police authorities to take all the necessary steps to curb the menace, they added.
Elaborating on the incident, Ramnivas said that two teams of security personnel were sent for patrolling from Bhadrakali and Bhopalpatnam police stations. One of them comprised CRPF and district police personnel, while the other team consisted of Chhattisgarh Armed Police members.
The two teams met on the way and one of them headed to Bhopalpatnam police station, while the members of the other team were heading to Bhadrakali police station in a tractor.
He further said that the Chhattisgarh Armed Police squad came under heavy fire from the Naxals in Metlaperu jungles. When police followed the Naxals into the forest, they were again attacked, in which, 11 policemen and the tractor driver were killed.
Ramnivas added that even though more than four Naxalites were killed by the police, their dead bodies could not be found. However, blood spots and marks of bodies being dragged were found on the ground.
Additional security forces have been dispatched to the site to catch hold of the Naxalites, he said.