4 Naxals killed in 2 encounters in Chhattisgarh,1 jawan injured

Four naxals including two women were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district and along the state's border with Telangana on Tuesday morning, police said in Raipur.

A woman rebel who was carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on her head was among them.

Another skirmish broke out between Naxals and security personnel in the forests along the border of Chhattisgarh and Telangana in the morning hours.

Earlier, Chhattisgarh police had said that four naxals were killed in the operation along the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border, but later the number was revised to three.

"A team of the special anti-naxal Greyhounds unit of Telangana Police had launched an operation in the forests of Bijapur (Chhattisgarh) and Mulugu (Telangana) districts," Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P told PTI.

They had received intelligence about a large gathering of the naxals' Telangana State Committee cadres including Divisional Committee Member (DVCM) Sudhakar and his associates in the area, he said.

A joint team of District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) from Bijapur was also sent to cordon off the area and assist the Greyhounds, the IG added.

"Around 7 am, the Greyhounds team got engaged in a gun-battle with the ultras in a forest near Semaldodi (district Bijapur) and Kariguttalu-Penugolu (district Mulugu) villages. Initial reports said at least four ultras had been neutralized," the senior official said.

Later, the bodies of three Naxals including a woman were recovered, Sundarraj added.

An SLR (Self Loading Rifle), INSAS rifle, a single-bore weapon, ten rocket launchers and other articles were recovered from the spot, he said.

"A Greyhounds jawan sustained injuries. He was airlifted to Warangal and later airlifted to Hyderabad for better treatment," the IG said, adding that the jawan was said to be out of danger.

Search operation was still underway in the area, located over 450 km away from the Chhattisgarh capital Raipur, he said.
Mulugu district police also confirmed the recovery of three bodies.

In Sukma district of Chhattisgarh a woman naxal was killed, officials said.

Superintendent of Police Sunil Sharma told PTI that DRG personnel from Sukma, Dantewada and Bastar districts participated in the operation.

Police had received information about the presence of top Divisional Committee Members of the CPI (Maoist) and 35-40 cadres in the forest on the tri-junction of Bastar, Dantewada and Sukma and launched an operation on Monday night, he said.

Around 6.45 am, a gunfight broke out on Marjum hills under Tongpal police station limits.

"The body of a woman identified as Munni, an area committee member of the naxals who carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh on her head was recovered from the spot," Sharma said.

No security personnel was injured in the operation, he added.