Three naxals held after face-off with troopers in C'garh

A naxalite wanted in a string of cases was among three ultras arrested today after a brief exchange of fire with security forces in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Dantewada district, police said.
The Maoists trio were rounded up from Hiroli village forest under Kirandul police station limits after a brief encounter between a joint team of security forces and ultras, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Kamlochan Kashyap told PTI.
The incident occurred when a composite squad of Special Task Force (STF), District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was conducting an anti-Maoist operation in the forested hills of Kirandul, located around 400 kms away from the state capital.

As the patrolling team was advancing through the Hiroli forests, it came under firing from a group of Maoists, leading tothe gun-battle, the SP said, adding that the naxals soon fled the spot.
However, the security personnel succeeded in arresting three naxals who were trying to escape after a short chase, he added.
They are identified as Banjar alias Hunga, head of Jantana Sarkar Squad of Maoists, and Lakhma Kunjam and Hidma Kunjam--both jan militia members, the officer said.

The SP said Hunga is a dreaded cadre of the region and allegedly involved inexploding a police anti-landmine vehicle in Cholnar area of Dantewada in April 2015, wherein five policemen were killed and eight others injured.

Besides, he was wanted in eleven other naxal-related incidents, including attacks on police teams, he added.
Some rebels were believed to have sustained bullet injury in the encounter and a search operation was underway in the region to trace them, Kashyap said.