Naxal killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur

A hardcore Naxal was Tuesday gunned down in an encounter in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, a police official said.

The firefight between security forces and Maoist ultras took place in the afternoon in the forest near Fulgatta village under Mirtur police station limits when security forces from neighbouring Dantewada district were out on an anti-Naxal operation, Deputy Inspector General (anti-naxal operations) Sundarraj P Told PTI.

Security forces from Dantewada had launched the operation along the border of the two districts, he said.

When the patrolling team was cordoning off forests in Mirtur area (Bijapur), the ultras opened fire, following which security forces retaliated, he said.

After the encounter, security forces found the body of a Naxal identified as Shankar alias Kamlu, active as member of the "Bhairamgarh area committee" of the Maoists, he said, adding that a 9mm pistol was also recovered.