Raipur: Two Maoists and a police jawan were killed today in a fierce gun-battle between security personnel and ultras in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Bastar district, police said.
“The face-off took place near restive Hitameta forests under Mardoom police station limits when a squad of Special Task Force raided a naxal transit camp there,” Bastar Superintendent of Police Ajay Yadav told PTI. Constable Budh Dev Sahu, a native of Balod district, was killed in the exchange of fire while two rebels were gunned down in the incident, Yadav said.
A team of STF was mobilised on an anti-naxal operation from Jagdalpur district headquarters yesterday. When they reached near village Harrakodar, around 25 kms away from Mardoom police station this morning, they spotted a gathering of a huge group of rebels in Hitameta forests, following which they started encircling them, the SP said.
Meanwhile, on sensing the security personnel, rebels open fired on them prompting them to retaliate. After the ensuing gunfight that lasted for around three hours amid heavy rain in the region, naxals escaped into core forests taking advantage of the bad weather, the SP said.
While cordoning off the encounter spot, bodies of two rebels were found, the SP said, adding that blood stains found at the spot indicated that some more ultras might either have been killed or injured in the gun battle.
Besides, a 12 bore gun, two muzzle loading guns, a country made gun, live cartridge of Insas rifle, pitthu bags and other naxal-related material was recovered from the spot, he added. Soon after being informed about the encounter, reinforcement was rushed to the spot.
The body of the martyred jawan and naxals were being retrieved out of the jungle, the SP said. The identity of the naxals killed in the encounter will be ascertained once the security forces will reach back to Jagdalpur, the SP said.
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