9 Naxals killed in encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh

Based on intelligence about the presence of Naxalites on the border of Dantewada and Bijapur districts, a police party conducted a search operation in the area.

At least nine Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Dantewada in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday.

Based on intelligence about the presence of Naxalites on the border of Dantewada and Bijapur districts, a police party conducted a search operation in the area.

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.

During the search operation, at around 10.30 am, an encounter broke out between the security personnel and the Naxalites from People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) company No 2. Their bodies were recovered from the spot along with several weapons, including Self Loading Rifle 303 and 12 Bore guns.

Last week, three villagers were killed by Naxalites in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district in separate incidents over suspicion of being 'police informers'. Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recently visited Chhattisgarh, where he discussed anti-Naxal strategies with the Directors General of Police from seven states.

The 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.