New Delhi: Five Maoists were killed and two security personnel were injured during an encounter with security forces in the Abujhmad forest, located on the borders of Kanker and Narayanpur districts in Chhattisgarh on Saturday. Police said the combing operation is still ongoing.
A note issued by the Bastar police said, “Since 8 am, a fierce encounter has been underway between the joint forces of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), Border Security Force (BSF), and Maoists. So far, the bodies of five Maoists have been recovered in the ongoing operation.”
It added, “Two security personnel have sustained injuries during the operation. Officials have confirmed that both injured personnel are in stable condition and are receiving immediate and advanced medical care.” Police further said that a cache of weapons has been recovered from the spot.
Security forces ramp up operations
The area where the encounter is taking place between security forces and Naxalites is affected, making it difficult to contact the soldiers. The security forces recently conducted a large-scale search operation in the Abujhmad forests, which led to today’s major operation. That apart, the largest Naxal operation in these forests took place on October 4, resulting in the deaths of around 31 Naxalites. The police have been continuously running a campaign to break the back of the Naxalites.
Earlier, on October 4, the bodies of 31 Naxalites were recovered following a similar encounter along the border of Narayanpur and Dantewada districts. This year, security forces have neutralised a total of 197 Maoists in the Bastar region, which includes seven districts, such as Bijapur.
