7 Naxals Including 2 Women Killed In Encounter With Security Forces In Chhattisgarh's Abhujmad

The police have also recovered a huge cache of weapons and ammunition, including an AK-47 from the encounter site.

In the second major strike on Naxalites by the security forces in the past 15 days in Chhattisgarh, seven Naxalites including 2 women were killed in an encounter on Tuesday in the state in a forest near the border areas of Narayanpur and Kanker districts.

So far, the police have recovered seven bodies in addition to a huge cache of weapons and ammunition, including an AK-47 from the encounter site. IG Bastar P Sundarraj told news agency ANI, adding that the search is currently underway.

The latest gunfight occurred at around 6 am on Tuesday in the forest located between Tekmeta and Kakur villages in Abhujmad area, which is said to be the stronghold of Naxalites.

The fire exchange began when a joint team of the Special Task Force (STF) and the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was out on an anti-Naxal operation in the area, PTI reported citing a senior police official.  

"After the exchange of fire stopped, bodies of seven Naxalites, including two women, were recovered from the spot," the senior official said.  

The official also stated that the identity of the Naxalites killed in the ecounter were yet to be ascertained.   

With this recent incident, a total of 88 Naxalites have been killed so far this year in various separate encounters with security forces in the Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, which comprises seven districts including Narayanpur and Kanker, where today's incident took place.

Previously, on April 16, 29 other Naxalites were gunned down during an encounter with security forces in Kanker district.

23 Naxalites Surrender In Chhattisgarh's Dantewada

Around 23 Naxalites, including seven women, on Monday surrendered before the security forces in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada. They were a part of the Bhairamgarh Area Committee of the Maoists in south Bastar.

The Naxalites laid down their arms before the police and CRPF officials since they were "impressed by the police's rehabilitation drive 'Lon Varratu' and disappointed with the hollow Maoist ideology," Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai told PTI.