BIJAPUR: Five Maoists including two women were killed in an exchange of fire with the security forces at the Bandepara-Koranjed forested terrain under the Indravati National Park in strife-torn Bijapur district about 400 km south of Raipur on Sunday.
"On Sunday morning, there ensued an intermittent exchange of firings that continued till the evening between the forces and the Maoists. After the encounter, the forces have recovered five bodies of Naxalites including two women in uniform during the search operation," said Sundarraj P, Bastar range inspector general of police.
The efforts to identify the deceased are underway as the search operation continues. The forces had also recovered one self-loading rifle, two single shot rifles, one BGL launcher, one country made gun besides explosives, naxal literature and materials from the scene.
With this, 14 suspected Naxalites have been killed in separate encounters in the state in 2025.
During a three-day long anti-Naxal operation by security forces in Abujhmad on the border of Narayanpur-Dantewada-Bijapur districts that concluded on January 6, five Naxalites, including two women, were killed.
On January 9, three Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in Sukma district.
Earlier, on January 3, a Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security personnel in Gariaband district, which falls in Raipur division.
Last year, 219 Naxalites were neutralised by security forces in separate encounters in the state, as per police.
On January 6 this year, Naxalites blew up a vehicle with an IED in Bijapur district, killing eight police personnel and their civilian driver.
(With inputs from PTI)