Naxal killed in encounter, total rebel casualties 16 so far

A naxal was today gunned down by security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, taking to 16 the total number of ultras having been killed in separate gun-battles in Bastar region so far this month.
The skirmish occurred at around 5 PM between a joint team of security forcesand naxals in Kurcholi village forests under Basaguda police station limits, Bijapur Additional Superintendent of Police, Indira Kalyan Eleselatold PTI.
A jointsquad of 204thbattalion of Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA)- an elite wing of CRPF, state's District Reserve Group (DRG) and district force had launched a special anti-naxal operation in the surrounding area of Basaguda- Dalla, Lenra, Kurcholi village forests, since this morning, Elesela said.

While they were cordoning off a forested patch near Kurcholi, a group of armed cadres opened indiscriminate firing on them prompting security forces to retaliate.
However, the ultras soon fled from the spot on finding security personnel zeroing on them, he said.
Later, body of a rebel, a 12-bore rifle, a tiffin bomb, a muzzle-loading gun and some naxal-related material was recovered from the spot, he said.
The identity of the slain naxal will be known after the party will to its camp, he added.
With this encounter, the number of Maoists having been killed in seven separate encounters in South Bastar this month has reached to 16.