Raipur: Naxal killed in encounter

Raipur: A naxal was on Tuesday gunned down in an exchange of fire with security forces in the dense forests of Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Sukma district, police said. The skirmish took place in the wee hours when a team of the District Reserve Group (DRG) led by Dornapal SHO Ajay Sonkar, was out an anti-naxal operation in Dornapal police station area, Sukma Superintendent of Police Indira Kalyan Elesela said. A group of naxals opened indiscriminate fire on the team near Koyabekur village following which an encounter broke out between both the sides, he said. Mada Benjami, head of Janatana Sarkar group of Maoists in Kerlapal area, was killed in the encounter, Elesela said, adding the deceased was looking after naxal activities in about 10 villages of the region. A muzzle loading gun and some ammunition was recovered from the spot, he said. A total of 89 Maoists were killed in separate encounters in Bastar this year, police added.