Chhattisgarh: Naxalites killed in Bijapur belonged to Maoists’ strongest armed squad in Bastar

Bijapur, Jan 17 (PTI) The 12 Naxalities neutralised in a fierce encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Thursday were from the Maoist organisation’s strongest unit in the Bastar region, police said on Friday.

The identity of the killed Naxalites is yet to be ascertained but preliminary information suggests they belonged to Maoists’ People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) battalion no. 1 and Central Regional Committee company, a police official said.

PLGA is the armed wing of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist).

According to police, the PLGA battalion no. 1 is considered the strongest formation of the Maoists in the tribal-dominated Bastar region and is headed by Deva. It has orchestrated several deadly attacks on security personnel in south Bastar in the past.

Previously the formation was headed by Hidma, believed to be the man behind many big strikes against security forces in the Bastar region, which comprises seven districts.

Twelve Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in the dense forest of the Pamed-Basaguda-Usoor axis of Bijapur district on Thursday. Besides the bodies, weapons were also recovered from the site, he said.

A search operation is still underway in the area and the security forces are likely to return to their bases on Friday evening, the official said.

Personnel belonging to the District Reserve Guard (DRG) from three districts, five battalions of CRPF’s elite jungle warfare unit CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) and the 229th battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) are involved in the operation, he said.

During the same operation, two CoBRA commandos were injured when a pressure improvised explosive device planted by Naxalites went off near the Putkel CRPF camp under Basaguda police station limits on Thursday, police said.

The injured jawans have been admitted to a private hospital in Raipur and their condition is reported to be out of danger. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who also holds the home portfolio, visited the hospital on Friday morning.

Altogether, 26 Naxalites have been killed in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh so far this year.

On January 12, Five Naxalites, including two women, were killed in an encounter with security personnel in the Madded police station area of Bijapur.

Last year, 219 Naxalites were neutralised by security forces in separate encounters across the state.