Raipur: Ten Maoists were gunned down in a major operation carried out by security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Gariyaband district on Thursday afternoon.
Among those eliminated was central committee member Manoj, also known as Modem Balkrishna, who had a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head, Gariaband SP Nikhil Rakhecha informed.
Joint teams of E-30, STF and COBRA launched an operation based on intelligence inputs of Naxal presence in Mainpur forest region.
Gunfight broke in the dense forest area in the afternoon, with intermittent encounters taking place between security forces and the militants.
“The encounter began in the afternoon. The Maoists discriminately opened fire on our forces after which we retaliated. The exchange of firing continued till evening. After the encounter ended, search operations were conducted, and the bodies were found. Their identities are being ascertained. Weapons, including automatic ones, have been recovered,” said Inspector General of Police Amresh Mishra.
The security personnel are safe, but are being cautious as Maoists often use improvised explosive devices (IEDs) while returning from operations.
This encounter is a part of the stepped-up crackdown on Naxal activity, especially in Chhattisgarh. On Wednesday, 16 Maoists surrendered in Narayanpur, saying they were disillusioned with their ‘hollow” ideology and the brutalities they saw being perpetrated against innocent tribals.
