17 Naxalites killed, four security personnel injured in encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma
Sukma, Mar 29 (PTI) In yet another major success, security forces gunned down 17 Naxalites, including 11 women and a Maoist carrying a Rs 25 lakh reward, during an anti-insurgency operation in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Saturday, officials said.
Three of the injured security personnel belong to the District Reserve Guard (DRG), a unit of the state police, the fourth is from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), they said.
A high-ranking, dreaded Maoist, carrying a reward of Rs 25 lakh on his head, is among the neutralised cadres, they said.
About 10 days ago, security forces had killed at least 30 members of the banned CPI (Maoist) in two separate encounters in the Bijapur and Kanker districts of the state’s Bastar region, comprising seven district, including Sukma.
The latest gunfight broke out around 8 am in the forest under the Kerlapal police station area, where a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxalite operation, Inspector General of Police of Bastar Range Sundarraj P told PTI.
The IG said personnel from the DRG and CRPF’s 159th battalion were involved in the operation launched on Friday night based on inputs about the presence of Maoists in the forests of Gogunda, Nendum and Upampalli villages in the Kerlapal police station area, he said.
After the exchange of fire stopped, bodies of 17 naxalites, including 11 women, were recovered from the encounter site, he said.
He said three DRG and one CRPF personnel sustained minor injuries in the face-off.
The injured jawans have been admitted to a hospital, and their condition was stated to be normal, he said.
Sundarraj said a large cache of firearms, including an AK-47 rifle, self-loading rifle (SLR), INSAS rifle, .303 rifle, a rocket launcher and barrel grenade launcher (BGL), and explosive materials were recovered from the spot.
Of the killed cadres, seven have been identified so far, while efforts are underway to ascertain the identity of the others, he said.
Kuhdami Jagdish, alias Budhra, a special zonal committee member of Maoists and secretary of Darbha division is among seven identified neutralised Naxalites, he said.
Jagdish was allegedly wanted in more than a dozen deadly Naxal incidents, including the 2013 Jhiram Valley attack that left several Congress leaders dead, the official said, adding that he carried a reward of Rs 25 lakh.
Six other deceased cadres include four area committee members of the Maoists, he said.
A search operation was still underway in the area, he added.
With the latest success, 133 Naxalites have been gunned down in separate encounters in the state so far this year. Of them, 117 were eliminated in the Bastar division.
As many as 22 Naxalites have been killed in separate encounters this year in the Sukma district.
