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As many as eight naxals, including four women, were gunned down in a fierce gunbattle with security forces in Chhattigsarh's insurgency-hit Bijapur district on Thursday.
The skirmish took place in early morning hours today in the forest near Timinar and Pusnar villages along the border of Bijapur and Dantewada districts. A joint team of District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Special Task Force (STF) was out on an anti-Maoist operation when the encounter broke out.
Acting on a tip-off, security forces had launched the operation from Dantewada district in the forest along the border of the two districts, state's Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police (anti-naxal operations) Sundarraj P told PTI.
While they were cordoning off jungles of Timinar and Pusnar villages, located around 450 km away from the state capital Raipur, in Bijapur, the exchange of fire broke out between the two sides, he said.
"After guns fell silent, bodies of eight naxals, including four women, were recovered from the spot," the DIG said.
Besides, two Insas rifles, two .303 rifles, one 12 bore gun and a few muzzle loading guns were also recovered from the spot, he said.
