Encounter broke out between the security forces and Naxalites in Bijapur and Sukma districts of Chhattisgarh on Saturday.
One Naxalite has been killed in an encounter with security forces near Belpocha village under Konta Police Station limits in Sukma district. The security forces also confiscated arms and ammunitions from the site. As search operation is underway, further details are awaited.
Givng details about the operation Sukma SP Kiran Chavan said, "One Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security forces near Belpocha village, under Konta PS Limits in Sukma district. Arms and ammunition also recovered. Search operation underway. Further details awaited."
Meanwhile, in separate incident, two Naxalites have been killed in an encounter is between the forces and Naxalites in the forest area of Jappemarka and Kamkanar, said Bijapur Police. The region falls under Mirtur Police Station limits. Weapons, wireless sets, stooges, Maoist uniforms, medicines, propaganda materials of the banned Maoist organization, literature and other daily use materials have been recovered from the site. The intensive search operation is underway.
Eight other Naxalites were killed in an encounter
The latest encounter comes a day after security forces killed eight Naxalites in two encounters in the forest along the border of Narayanpur and Bijapur districts of Chhattisgarh on Thursday and Friday.
On May 21, District Reserve Guard from Dantewada, Narayanpur and Bastar districts, Bastar Fighters and Special Task Force jointly launched a search operation based on inputs.
The exchange of fire broke out when security personnel were cordoning off the forest on Bijapur-Narayanpur border on Thursday and the intermittent firing lasted till evening, he said.
The bodies of seven Naxalites in 'uniform' and as many weapons were recovered from the encounter site afterwards, Narayanpur SP Prabhat Kumar said.
Further when the STF personnel, who were part of the Thursday operation, were returning to their base on Friday morning, the Naxalites opened fire upon them. The ensued gun battle led to the killing of another Naxalite upping the total Naxalites neutralised to 8.
Noentheless, with the latest incident, 114 Naxalites have been killed so far this year in separate encounters with security forces in the state.
33 Naxalite surrender in separate incident
While the Naxalites are being neutralised in the operations, many are returning to normalcy as part of rehabilitation programmes run by the police. In a separate incident on Saturday, 33 Naxalites, three of them carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 5 lakh, surrendered before security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district.
The Naxalites turned themselves in before senior officials from the police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), citing disappointment with atrocities committed by Naxalites on tribals and "hollow" ideology, Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Yadav said.
Of 33 surrendered cadres, two women were active in various wings and outfits under the Gangaloor area committee. Raju Hemla alias Thakur (35), a member of PLGA (People's Liberation Guerilla Army) battalion no. 1, and Samo Karma, a member of platoon no. 1, were carrying a reward of Rs 2 lakh each. Sudru Punem, the head of RPC (revolutionary party committee) Janata Sarkar carried a bounty of Rs 1 lakh. The trio carrying rewards were allegedly involved in attacks on security personnel in the past, the official said.
The surrendered Naxalites were provided Rs 25,000 each, and they will be rehabilitated as per the government's policy, police said. With this, 109 Naxalites have so far quit violence in the district this year, while 189 have been arrested, they said.
(With PTI Inputs)
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