Woman among 2 Naxals killed in fresh encounter in Chhattisgarh

At least two Naxals, including a woman, were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh today, a senior police official said.

Several other ultras were injured in the encounter and the toll may rise. Firearms were also seized from the spot, he said.

The gunfight comes a day after eight Naxals, including six women, were killed in an encounter in Sukma's adjoining district Bijapur.

The fresh gun-battle took place in the forest near Metagudam village in Burkapal area of Sukma district this morning, Deputy Inspector General of Police (south Bastar range) Sundarraj P told PTI.

"So far, the bodies of two Naxals, including a woman, have been recovered along with 11 weapons. A search operation following the encounter was still going on," he said.

Separate teams of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), the Special Task Force (STF) and the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), an elite unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), were carrying out combing operations in Sukma, located around 400 km from the state capital Raipur, for the last couple of days, Sundarraj said.

This morning, when a joint team of the DRG and the STF was cordoning off a forest area near Metagudam located deep inside Burkapal, an exchange of fire broke out between the squad and a group of ultras present in the area, the DIG said.

The gun-battle lasted for about two hours following which the Maoists fled into the core forest area, he said, adding according to ground reports, several other Naxals were injured in the exchange of fire but their colleagues managed to drag them away.

The DIG said further details were waited.

Yesterday's operation in Bijapur was carried out jointly by the Chhattisgarh Police, the special anti-Naxal Greyhounds unit of their Telangana counterparts and the CRPF.