Wanted Naxal among 2 killed in encounter

Two Naxal commanders, one of them carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh on his head, were killed and at least eight others injured today in a gun-battle with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police said.
The gunfight took place in Bade Kakloor area when a joint team of security forces was on a counter-insurgency operation, Special Director General of Police (anti-Maoist operations) D M Awasthi told PTI.
Two ultras were killed in the exchange of fire. They were identified as Maoist divisional commander Jagat (40) and Idravati area committee's jan-militia commander Badru (30), he said.
"Jagat was a hardcore rebel and carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh on his head," he added.

On December 13, a composite squad of District Force, Special Task Force (STF) and District Reserve Group (DRG) had launched the operation from Bedre Police Station, about 450 km from here, into interior forests of the district.
Upon reaching inside the forest of Bade Kakloor today, they came under heavy fire from armed rebels, leading to the gun-battle, Awasthi said.

Later, the bodies of two rebels, an INSAS rifle, one 12-bore gun and other itemswere recovered from the spot, he said.
"During the encounter, security forces noticed that at least eight ultras sustained bullet injuries, but their colleagues managed to drag them inside the core forests," he added.

The bodies were being evacuated from the forests, Awasthi said, adding further details were awaited.