Raipur: Security forces killed 18 Naxalites in an encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Thursday, an official said. One Chhattisgarh District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawan was also killed. Bijapur Police confirmed that so far, the bodies of 18 Naxalites have been recovered from the encounter site, reported the India Today. A large cache of arms, ammunition, and explosives was also recovered.
The eighteen Naxalites and one police jawan were killed in the dense forest area along the Bijapur-Dantewada border in Gangaloor. The encounter had begun around 7 am on Thursday. Heavy firing was exchanged from both sides.
According to the police, the anti-Naxal operation was carried out by a joint team comprising personnel from the DRG, Special Task Force (STF), and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The search teams are continuing their operation in the area. to locate any remaining Naxal presence and recover additional weapons.
In a separate operation in Kanker district, four Maoists were killed near village Koroskodo in Chhotebethiya. Security forces were c attacked while conducting combing operations and thereafter they retaliated strongly.