A Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security personnel in a forest along the Narayanpur-Bijapur inter-district border in Chhattisgarh on Friday, police said. With this, the total number of Naxalite killed in the operation reached 8. The operation was launched on May 21.
SP Dantewada Gaurav Rai said that a total of eight Naxalites have been killed in an ongoing encounter between Naxals and security personnel in the border area of Narayanpur-Bijapur-Dantewada. Eight weapons, other arms, and ammunition were recovered. Search operations are underway.
The gunfight took place in the morning when a team of Special Task Force (STF) was returning after an anti-Naxal operation, a police official said.
After Thursday's encounter, security personnel were returning to their base when Naxalites fired on a patrolling team of the STF leading to a gunbattle between the two sides on Friday morning, he said.
STF jawans returning from an anti-naxal operation were attacked by Naxalites. In response to the attack, STF jawans killed a Naxalite in uniform during an encounter in the border areas of Dantewada and Bijapur.
After the firing stopped, the body of a Naxalite in ‘uniform’ was recovered from the spot, the official said, adding that further details are awaited, as reported by news agency PTI. Altogether, 8 Naxalites were killed in this operation which was launched on May 21, he added. Following the latest incident, 113 Naxalites have been killed so far this year in separate encounters with security forces in the state.
Security forces personnel crossed the Indravati River as they returned to their headquarters after an encounter with Naxalites.
(With Inputs from Ashok Naidu)