In an anti-insurgency operation, security forces killed nine Naxalites during an encounter in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, police said.
The Bijapur district falls within the Bastar Lok Sabha constituency, slated for polls in the initial phase of general elections on April 19.
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The clash unfolded around 6 AM in a forest near Lendra village under the jurisdiction of Gangaloor police station. The exchange of gunfire occurred when a combined team of security forces was conducting an anti-Naxal operation, said Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P, PTI reported.
Various Weapons And Ammunition Discovered
Following the cessation of hostilities, four Naxalites were discovered dead at the scene, alongside a light machine gun, barrel grenade launchers, and various other weapons and ammunitions, he added. Subsequently, five more bodies were recovered from the encounter site, with ongoing search operations in the vicinity, informed the IG.
The operation involved personnel from the District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force, Central Reserve Police Force, and its elite unit Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), Sundarraj specified.
It is noteworthy that Naxalites typically escalate their activities during the Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign (TCOC) in the summer months spanning from March to June each year. This period witnesses a surge in attacks against security forces in the Bastar region.
Previously, on March 27, security forces reported the neutralization of six Naxalites in an encounter in the Basaguda area of Bijapur, as confirmed by police. With this recent development, the tally of Naxalite casualties stands at 42 this year in distinct encounters with security forces across the Bastar region, encompassing seven districts including Bijapur, as per police records.
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