Four Naxals killed in Dantewada

Four Naxals, including a 'commander-rank' woman cadre, were on Wednesday gunned down while a jawan was injured in an encounter between security personnel and the ultras in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district.

The skirmish took place in the wee hours in the restive Dabba-Kunna hills when the joint team of CRPF, District Reserve Group and STF was out on an anti-Maoist operation, according to Dantewada Superintendent of Police Kamlochan Kashyap.

"While four cadres were killed, a jawan was also injured in the face-off," he said.

Based on specific inputs, the operation was launched by security forces last night to flush out ultras hiding in the forests near Dabba and Kunna villages, the SP said.

The two villages are located on top of a hill which lies along the Dantewada and Sukma districts border, about 500 km from the state capital Raipur.

A group of armed Naxals opened indiscriminate fire at the security personnel close to Dabba village following which an encounter broke out between the two sides.

In the face-off, four ultras, including a woman, who were armed with country-made weapons and explosives, were killed, the SP said.

Two 'commander-rank' cadre including a woman are among the killed ultras, he said.

Besides, a DRG jawan sustained injuries in the incident, he said.

During a search, the bodies of the killed Maoists and at least seven firearms and a huge cache of Naxal-related items were recovered from the spot, Kashyap said.

Reinforcement was rushed to the spot and efforts are on to evacuate the injured jawan, he said, adding that further details are awaited.