Four killed in Chhattisgarh Maoist attack

Two troopers and two Maoists were killed in a gun battle after a group of rebels attacked a patrol party of security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Sunday, police said.

Two more troopers, who were part of the joint patrol comprising Special Task Force (STF) and District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel, were injured in the gun fight that took place around 6 a.m. in the Jappemarka forest area.

Additional Superintendent of Police Indira Kalyan Elesela said the 100-strong joint STF and DRG patrol party was on its way to conduct search in the forest area, where the Maoists were lurking.

The Maoists fired at the patrol party, which retaliated with equal force.

The gun battle lasted for close to one-and-half hours, police said.

The Maoists fled the scene under the cover of the thick forest. The bodies of the two Maoists were later recovered from the forest.

The slain troopers were identified as Constable Sitaram Kunjam from STF and Assistant Constable Motiram from DRG, said Additional Director General of Police (Anti-Naxal Operations) R.K. Vij.