Chhattisgarh Police on Friday said that Twelve Naxalites have been killed in an encounter in Bijapur district.
The exchange of gun fire took place when a team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxal operation in a forest near Pidia village. The area comes under the jurisdiction of the Gangaloor police station limits, a senior police official said.
The Chhattisgarh police official also said that security personnel are reported to be safe. He said that the search operation was underway in the area. Speaking of the encounter, Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai said, "An encounter broke out with the Naxals in Gangaloor area of Bijapur district...12 dead bodies of the Naxals have been found. I congratulate our jawans & senior officers,"
The crackdown of Naxalites have increased significantly in past few months. While multiple have been killed in the encounters, a major number of Naxalites have surrendered after being inspired by the rehabilitation programs of ther security forces. Earlier on April 16, security forces had gunned down 29 Naxalites in an encounter in Kanker district of the state.
The latest encounter comes a day after 6 naxalites carrying a bounty of Rs. 36 lakh over them surrendered to the police in Sukma, Chhattisgarh. The naxalites surrendered after getting inspired from 'Puna Narkom' rehabilitation program for Naxals. Puna Narkom is a phrase from local Gondi dialect, which means "New Dawn." This follows the surerrender of other 23 and 26 Naxalites on April 29 and April 15 respectively.
(With PTI Inputs)
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