Woman Naxal killed in encounter with security forces in C'garh

A womanNaxal, carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on her head,waskilled in an exchange of fire with security forces in Chhattigsarh's Rajnandgaon district today, a senior police official said.

The encounter took place around 8.30 am in a forest near Kondal hills when a joint team of the District Force and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) was out on an anti- Maoist operation, Superintendent of Police Prashant Agrawal told PTI.

The combing squad was carrying out the operation at the forest in Manpur area, located around 200 km from the state capital Raipur.

When the security men were cordoning off the area near Kondal hills,a group of ultras started firing on them, leading to a gun-battle between the two sides, Agrawal said.

After guns fell silent, the body of a woman, identified as Jarina, a member of the Aundhi-Mohla joint area committee ofMaoists, was recovered from the spot, he said.

A 12 bore gun and other Maoist-related material were also seized from the spot, he added.

Jarina, a native of Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, was active in the outlawed outfit since 2005, the SP said.

As many as 16 offences, including attacks on police teams, were registered against her at various police stations in Manpur sub-division, he said, adding that she was carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on her head.

Further details are awaited as the search operation was still underway in the area, the SP said.

With this encounter, the number of Naxals gunned down by security forces in Rajnandgaon district in the last two years has gone up to 18, the police added.