9 Naxals killed in Chhattisgarh encounter: Indian Police

Naxal revolutionaries have strong hold in Chhattisgarh (File Photo/OpIndia)

Chhattisgarh, September 3 — Nine alleged Naxals were killed Tuesday in an encounter with security forces on the inter-district border between Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada and Bijapur districts, police said.

A joint team of District Reserve Guards (DRG) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had on Monday begun an operation in the area after receiving information on the presence of around 40 Naxals from the West Bastar division.

The encounter started at 10.30 am Tuesday at Loha village, in the forests of Purangel and Andri – around 50 kilometres from Dantewada headquarters.

“After the firing ended, search operations were carried out in which bodies of nine Naxals wearing PLGA (People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army) uniform were found. We are trying to identify them,” said Superintendent of Police for Dantewada district, Gaurav Rai.

An SLR, a .303 rifle, and a 315 bore rifle were among the items recovered from the site of the encounter, officials said.

All security personnel who took part in the encounter are safe, and searches are continuing, sources said.

In the past, local residents and even animals have lost their lives in the area to Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blasts.Top of Form

Bottom of FormThe encounter site is 15 kilometres from the Mandimarka forests, where on July 17 this year, two Special Task Force (STF) jawans were killed and four more injured in a major IED blast. The Mandimarka forests fall on the tri-junction of Bijapur, Sukma and Dantewada districts in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region.

—The Indian Express