RAIPUR: A woman Maoist in uniform was killed in an encounter with the security forces in Bijapur’s south-west forested border area adjoining Telangana, Bastar police said on Tuesday. Three women Naxalites were earlier killed in an exchange of fire with security forces on April 24.
So far, four bodies, all women cadres of banned CPI (Maoists), besides several weapons have been recovered during the ongoing “decisive” inter-state operation involving more than 10,000 security personnel over the past 12 days, as troops continue to march cautiously ahead towards a lesser-known Karregutta forested hills, believed to be a crucial safe haven for Maoist leaders including their top commanders.
“Based on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of Maoists along the south-west border areas of Bijapur district, a joint team of security forces comprising personnel from District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), CRPF and its elite Cobra force is out on an anti-Maoist campaign. During the operation underway, an encounter took place between the forces and the Maoists. The body of a woman Maoist and a rifle were recovered from the scene,” said Sunderraj P, Bastar range inspector general of police.
Based on the marks and impressions at the encounter site, there remains a strong possibility of more Maoists being killed and injured in the gun battle, the officer added.
During the last few days of the ongoing significant anti-Naxal campaign, the forces in the region have unearthed several Maoist bunkers, their hideouts and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), he stated.
Owing to tough inhospitable topography, the forces could not recover all bodies of Maoists killed during the operation, said the IG. Some jawans were also injured in the IED blast and their conditions were stated to be out of danger.
In another incident in Sukma district, south Chhattisgarh, the Maoists killed a deputy sarpanch Muchaki Ram of Tarlaguda village panchayat at Benpalli on Monday. His body was recovered on Tuesday after the villagers alerted the police.
This year, 146 bodies of Maoists have been recovered so far in various encounters in Chhattisgarh, including 129 killed in the Bastar division. The Red rebels have killed nine civilians in different incidents in the Bastar range, comprising seven Maoist-affected districts.