BSF retaliates against open firing by armed ultras

Face-off between Naxals and BSF, to ensure security to the Bande-Irpanaar road in Chhattisgarh,

An exchange of fire took place between Naxals and BSF personnel in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Kanker district today. However, no casualty or injury was reported from either side, the police said.

A senior police official told PTI, "The BSF personnel had launched the operation to ensure security to the construction of Bande-Irpanaar road (36 km)."

He revealed, "The skirmish took place this morning when a team of the 171st battalion of Border Security Force (BSF) was out on a road security operation in Bande police station area."
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The pollice official further stated, "While the patrolling team was carrying out the road security operation between Kurenar and Kanhargaon villages, the armed ultras opened fire at them following which the BSF personnel retaliated." 

However, the rebels soon escaped in the forest, he said, adding that BSF's patrolling was underway in the region.

The BSF had last month set up its camp in Kanhargaon village, that lies on the border of Kanker and Gadchiroli districts (Maharashtra), to ensure security to the Bande-Irpanaar road.

"The road between Bande and Irpanaar goes through a dense forest, along the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border, which is a Naxal hotbed. The Naxals are frustrated with construction of the road and are trying to disrupt it by making such attempts" a BSF official said.