New Delhi: Three Maoists, including two women cadres were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Saturday morning, police said.
The reported encounter took place around 8 am in the Belam Gutta hills under the Basaguda police station limits, more than 400 km from state capital Raipur, PTI cited a senior police official.
As per information, personnel of the state police's District Reserve Guard (DRG) and `Commando Battalion for Resolute Action' (CoBRA), an elite unit of the CRPF, were out on an anti-Naxal operation in the area, when Maoists opened fire, he further added.
The identity of the slain Naxals is yet to be ascertained, the official said, adding that a search operation is underway in nearby areas, reported PTI.
A cache of explosives and weapons, Naxal uniforms, literature and other items were also seized from the encounter site, reported PTI.
"Two muzzle-rifles, one pistol and other explosives have been recovered. We had information that the Madded Area Committee‘s divisional member Vinod Karma and other 25 armed Maoists were camping in that area and hence the operation was launched. The bodies of the deceased Maoists are yet to be identified,” HT quoted Inspector general of police, Bastar range, Sunderaj P, as saying.
According to the report, the anti-Maoist operations have intensified in the last two months. The figures show that there were only four anti-Maoist operations in July and August last year, which dropped to two in September and October. However, the number increased to 12 in November and nine operations were conducted in December 2023. In all, 27 operations were conducted.
The highest number of Maoists arrested in 2023 was in December when 59 of them were arrested by the security forces and prior to this, it was in July when 15 were arrested. In all, 173 Maoists were arrested between July and December 2023, while 12 were killed in gunfights with the security forces.