CRPF official killed in gunfight with Naxals in Chhattisgarh

An officer of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was killed in an encounter with Naxals in a dense forest in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, a senior police official said today.

Teams of CRPF, its elite unit CoBRA and the District Reserve Guard (DRG) of police were carrying out search operations under the Kistaram police station limits when the gunfight broke out last night, Deputy Inspector General of Police (South Bastar) Sundarraj P said.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Anil Kumar Maurya (51), attached to the CRPF's 212th battalion, was killed in the exchange of fire with Naxals which took place in the forests of Karigundam village, three kilometres from Kistaram, he said.

CRPF's 212th battalion, 208th battalion of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), and DRG had launched a search-cum-area domination operation in different directions from Kistaram, 500 km from Raipur, he told PTI.

When a CRPF team was cordoning off the Karigundam forest, the encounter started and the rebels escaped after a brief exchange of fire, he said.

Reinforcement was rushed to the spot and Maurya's body was evacuated from the forest, he said, adding the body was airlifted to Raipur today.

Maurya hailed from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.

His body will be flown to his native place this evening after the autopsy, Sundarraj added.

Based on information that the Naxal squad with which the security forces had the gun-battle last night was still hiding in the area, the search operation was intensified, the DIG said.

On March 13 this year, nine CRPF personnel were killed and two others injured after Naxals blew up their Mine-Protected-Vehicle, in Kistaram area.