Naxal gunned down in encounter at Sukma

A naxal was killed in an encounter with security forces in the forests of Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Sukma district on Saturday morning, police said.

The skirmish took place in the forest near Muler village under Fulbagdi police station area, when a team of District Reserve Guard was out on a counter insurgency operation, Sukma superintendent of police Shalabh Sinha said.

Acting on a tip-off about the movements of ultras in Fulbagdi area, security forces had launched an operation there, he said.

When the patrolling team was advancing through Muler forest, located around 500 km from Raipur, there was an exchange of fire between the two sides, he said.

However, soon the ultras fled the scene, as security personnel zeroed in on them, he added.

During a search, the body of a naxal along with a pistol and a wireless set was recovered from the spot, he said, adding that a search operation is underway in the area.