RAIPUR: Five cadres of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) were killed in an encounter with security forces on Saturday in the Abujhmad area, located along the inter-district borders of Narayanpur and Kanker in south Chhattisgarh.
Two jawans sustained bullet injuries during the gunfight, but their condition is reported to be stable.
“Based on an intelligence input about the presence of Maoists in the north Abujhmad (meaning unfamiliar land) region, a joint team of District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), and Border Security Force (BSF) left on the planned operation,” said a police officer in Bastar.
“During the search campaign at around 8 am, an encounter resulted after the Maoists opened fire on the forces that came close to their hideout location. So far, five bodies of Maoists have been recovered from the encounter site,” the officer added.
The forces also recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition. Intermittent firing continues, while troops have intensified their search operation in the region, the officer added.
The two injured DRG personnel have been shifted to the hospital for immediate medical care.
This year, so far, 197 bodies of Maoists have been recovered after they were neutralized by security forces in separate encounters in the conflict-ridden south Bastar zone.
The security forces in Chhattisgarh are carrying out aggressive anti-Maoist operations under the new regime with a renewed strategy targeting the rebels in the areas considered their strongholds.
Kanker and Narayanpur are among the seven Maoist-affected districts in the conflict-ridden zone of Bastar. Further details awaited.