RAIPUR: In yet another encounter with the security personnel, as many as ten Maoists including three women fighters were killed in Tekmeta-Kakur forested terrain along the borders of Maoist-affected districts of Narayanpur and Kanker in south Chhattisgarh on Tuesday.
“The gun battle ensued when a joint team of Special Task Force (STF) and District Reserve Guard (DRG) was out on an anti-Maoist operation at around 6 am in Abujhmad area. Nine bodies including three women have so far been recovered from the spot”, said a senior police officer in Bastar.
The state Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma confirming the incident said that the forces have also recovered arms, explosives and ammunition including one AK-47 rifle.
“No jawan sustained any injury in the gunfight. A search operation has been intensified in the area. The joint team of STF and DRG deserves commendation for the success. I again urge the Maoists for a dialogue either through a video call or any other mediator, give-up violence and join the mainstream”, Sharma said.
In recent months the security forces have carried out aggressive anti-Maoist operations with the renewed strategy targeting the rebels in the areas considered to be the latter’s strongholds in the conflict-ridden Bastar zone.
The recovered bodies were yet to be identified, the police office said.
On April 16, 29 Naxalites were gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Kanker district.
With this incident, 88 Naxalites have been killed so far this year in separate encounters with security forces in the state's Bastar region, comprising seven districts including Narayanpur and Kanker, according to police.
(With inputs from PTI)