Five Naxals held after encounter in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur

Five Naxals, including a woman, were arrested after a gunfight with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police said on Monday.

They were held on Sunday from a forested hill near Pidiya village by a joint team of District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and its elite CoBRA unit, an official said.

"We had launched an operation near Itawar, Lendra, Savnar, Todka Korcholi and Pidiya villages in a Maoist stronghold based on specific inputs. Near Pidiya, security personnel came under Naxal fire," he said.

The Naxals tried to run after coming under retaliatory fire but five of them, identified as Bhima Lekam (25), Raju Oyam (35), Bhima Badse (23), Somlu Oyam (45) and woman cadre Shanti Kalmu (25), were held.

"Maoist bags, literature, detonating cord, detonators, firecrackers and other materials were recovered," he added.