Nagpur: At least two Naxals, including a senior leader involved in the 2019 Jambulkheda blast, were killed in an encounter with the police in eastern Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district on Thursday, said the official.
2019 Jambulkheda blast accused killed
The police said that Durgesh Watti, deputy commander of Kasansur Dalam (squad) who was one of the main conspirators of the Jambulkheda blast in which 15 police personnel of Gadchiroli Police were killed in 2019 was among the two slain Naxals.
The district superintendent of police, Neelotpal, mentioned that the police had received intelligence inputs indicating the presence of a substantial number of Naxals near Bodhintola on the Chhattisgarh border, close to the Godalwahi outpost. The intelligence suggested their intent to carry out acts of sabotage and ambush police forces.
Search operation underway
He said that during a combing operation, Naxals opened fire on the police team. Following an exchange of gunfire that lasted for nearly an hour, the bodies of Watti and another male Naxal were discovered at the scene, according to the district superintendent of police, Neelotpal.
The police also recovered an AK-47 rifle and a Self-Loading Rifle (SLR). Further search is underway in the area.
(With PTI inputs)
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