9 Naxalites, 2 security personnel killed in C'garh encounter

As many as nine Naxalites and two security personnel were killed on Monday in Sukma district in two separate operations carried out by the security forces. A huge cache of arms and ammunition including automatic rifles and improvised explosive device (IED) were also recovered from the spot by the police.

In the fierce encounter that ensued on Monday morning between the security personnel and the Naxals at Sakler, 8 Naxalites were killed including two of their commanders, having a bounty of Rs 8 lakh each on their heads. Two District Reserve Guards (DRG) personnel also lost their lives. In another encounter, one Naxalite was killed by the CoBRA battalion of CRPF at Elmagunda.

Police said the bodies were being evacuated with the help of choppers deployed by the Indian Air Force (IAF) due to the inaccessible terrain of the area. "The search operation is going on as police suspect more casualties on part of Naxalites," said the police, adding that Naxalites dumped their arms in a nearby pond while fleeing.

The security forces have cordoned off the area under the operation called "Prahar" in which District Reserve Guards (DRG), CoBRA battalion of CRPF and the Special Task Force (STF) are participating.