RAIPUR: At least five cadres of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) were killed and two jawans injured in a fierce gun battle between the security forces and the rebels at Dhurbeda forested terrain of Abujhmad in strife-torn Narayanpur district about 350 km south of Raipur on Saturday.
A joint team of Narayanpur District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Special Task Force (STF) were out on area domination operation since early morning when the armed Maoists ambushed them resulting in an encounter.
“We have recovered five bodies of Maoists. In an exchange of fire, more casualties are believed to have been inflicted on the rebels. Efforts are on to rescue the two injured DRG jawans from area”, P Sunderraj, deputy inspector general of police (anti-Maoist operation) told the Express.
The Maoists usually carry away the bodies of their comrades and also the injured while fleeing, the police said.
Reinforcement has been rushed to the spot and the search operation further intensified.
Narayanpur is among the seven worst Maoist-affected districts in the conflict zone of Bastar, south Chhattisgarh.