Six naxals gunned down in two encounters in C'garh

Six suspected Maoist rebels, including a woman, were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in the forests of insurgency-hit Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh today, a top police official said.
Nine firearms, including two 303 rifles, and a cache of Maoist-related material, were recovered after the operations that took place in the core areas of Ambhujmad, a den of naxalites, the official said.
Addressing a press conference this evening, Special Director General of Police (anti-Maoist operations) D M Awasthi said five ultras were eliminated by the security forces in Pinka village, while a woman cadre was gunned down in Dhurbeda forest.

A joint team of Chhattisgarh Police's Special Task Force (STF), District Reserve Guard (DRG), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and its elite unit CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action), involving around 2,000 personnel, were engaged in the operation codenamed 'Prahaar-2' in the core areas dominated by Maoists across Bastar since yesterday, he said.
Bastar region comprises seven districts of Chhattisgarh.
As part of the operation, a joint team led by Narayanpur Additional Superintendent of Police Anil Soni was carrying out a combing operation in the forests of Abhujmad today.

The patrol came under heavy fire by naxalites near Dhurbeda, triggering a gun-battle. After the firing stopped, the body of a woman naxalite was recovered with weapons, Awasthi said.

Later in the afternoon, five Maoist rebels were killed in another exchange of fire with the security forces near Pinka, he said.
Two 303 rifles, five 315 bore rifles, one 12 bore gun and a pistol were recovered after the two encounters, he added.
The slain naxalites are yet to be identified, he said, adding the combing operation was still underway and conclude tomorrow.
Awasthi claimed with today's encounters 63 naxals have been killed in separate encounters with security forces so far this year in Chhattisgarh.
Security forces also busted some naxal camps andrecovered huge quantities of explosives and material used for making firearms in Sukma forest bordering Telangana today, he said.

In June this year, the Chhattisgarh police had launched 'Operation Prahaar', during which it claimed to have inflicted heavy damage on Maoists in Sukma district.
However, the body of only one suspected Maoist was recovered during that operation.
The SDGP said following the success of Operation Prahaar, its sequel has been launched across Bastar.