Chhattisgarh: Maoist killed in encounter with security forces in Sukma district, three DRG jawans injured in IED blast | Raipur News

RAIPUR: A Maoist was killed and three security personnel were injured in a fierce encounter between Maoists and security forces in the insurgency-hit Sukma district of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday. The encounter took place on the Sukma-Dantewada inter-district forest zone borders, a known Maoist stronghold, where an intensive anti-Naxal operation was launched based on specific intelligence about Maoist presence in the area. A joint team of STF, CRPF and DRG forces went into the forest in wee hours on Tuesday. According to a police statement, the intermittent exchange of fire began early morning on July 29 and continued for several hours. During the operation, forces recovered the body of one male Maoist in uniform from the site. His identity is yet to be confirmed. A significant cache of arms, ammunition, explosives, and daily-use items was also seized from the encounter site, police said. Sukma SP Kiran Chavan said that during the encounter in the same operation, three jawans of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) force were injured in a pressure IED blast triggered by Maoists. Maoists had planted the IED underground to target security personnel and the jawans had inadvertently stepped upon the IED that went off and injured two DRG personnel. The injured personnel were safely evacuated from the encounter zone and shifted to a higher medical facility for treatment. As of the latest update, all three are in stable condition and out of danger. Due to the ongoing nature of the operation, the exact location and other details are not being disclosed at this time for security reasons. Police officials stated that a detailed report will be issued after the operation concludes. The operation is part of heightened anti-Maoist offensives being carried out across the Bastar region, where monsoon-season operations have been intensified with the aim of dismantling Maoist hideouts and restricting their mobility. The operation has been launched amid Maoists observing ‘martyrs’ week’ and at a time when they lie low. The operation was still underway till the filing of this report and further details were awaited. As many as 225 Naxalites have been killed in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh so far this year.Of them, 208 were eliminated in the Bastar division, which includes Bijapur, Bastar, Kanker, Konadagaon, Narayanpur, Sukma and Dantewada districts.