RAIPUR: Five people from a village in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district were allegedly abducted by Naxals for unknown reasons, following which security forces launched a search operation, a police official said on Sunday.
The incident took place in Bater village, located 18 kilometres inside the forest from Konta police station, which is around 400 km from state capital Raipur, he said.
"As per preliminary information, a group of Naxals reached the village on Saturday evening and forcefully took five villagers, including a Class XII girl, along with them. After being alerted about the abduction this afternoon, security forces have started a search operation in the area," Sukma Superintendent of Police Sunil Sharma told PTI.
"It is not clear why they were abducted. Ultras also take villagers along with them sometimes for meetings. The Sarva Adivasi Samaj, an umbrella body of tribal communities in Bastar region, has appealed to the ultras to release the villagers," he added.
In July, Naxals had abducted eight villagers from Kunded under Jagargunda police station limits and released them two to three days later, Sharma said.