Explosive materials found after gun-battle with Naxals

Security forces recovered a huge cache of explosive materials following a gun-fight with the Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, police said today.

The encounter took place yesterday when a joint team of the police's Special Task Force, District Reserve Guard and CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) of the CRPF was out on an anti-Naxal operation, said Sukma Superintendent of Police Abhishek Meena.

While the team was cordoning off Tumirpad forests, Naxals opened fire on them, Meena said.

The area around 500 km away from Raipur.

After a prolonged gun-battle, the Maoists fled, the SP said.

Four steel tiffin boxes, 12 gelatin rods, urea, 20 detonators, cordex wires, batteries and gunpowder were found from the spot, he said.

All this material is used to make improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by the Naxals.

A team of 'military battalion no 1' of the Maoists led by company commander Nagesh, which operates mostly in south Sukma, was involved in the encounter, Meena said.