C'garh: 2 security personnel killed in face-off with Naxals

Two Special Task Force (STF) personnel, including an assistant platoon commander (APC), were killed in a gun battle with Naxals in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Kondagaon district today.
A few ultras are also believed to be either killed or injured in the incident, police said.
The skirmish took place in the forest near Tumdiwal village under Mardapal police station limits, Special Director General of Police (anti-Naxal operations) D M Awasthi said.
The slain personnel have been identified as APC Krishna Kindo and constable Jitendra Dwivedi, he said.
Teams of STF and district police force had last night launched an operation inside the forests of Mardapal, around 350 km from Raipur. When one of the teams was advancing through forest of Tumdiwal this afternoon, it came under heavy firing from Naxals, he said.

The ensuing gun battle lasted for about two hours after which the ultras fled, said Awasthi.

Reinforcement was rushed to the spot, he said, adding that bodies of the slain personnel were evacuated from the spot.
Inspector general of police (in-charge), Bastar range, Sundarraj P said bloodstainsfoundatthespot indicated that some Naxals were either killed or injured in the battle.
The anti-Naxal operation is still continuing in the region, police said.
Tumdiwal area lies on the tri-junctionof Bastar, Kondagaon and Narayanpurdistricts, and is a strong base of Maoists.