Chhattisgarh: 7 Maoists killed in gunfight

Police also recovered seven weapons and other materials from the incident spot, said officials, adding that the encounter was still in progress till late evening. The identities of the Maoists are yet to be ascertained.

At least seven Maoists were killed in a gunfight in a forest near Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district on May 23 in a joint operation launched by the security forces and the police forces of Narayanpur, Bastar and Dantewada, officials aware of the matter said.

Police also recovered seven weapons and other materials from the incident spot, said officials, adding that the encounter was still in progress till late evening. The identities of the Maoists are yet to be ascertained.

“A joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) of Narayanpur, Bastar and Dantewada and Special Task Force (STF) was out on an anti-Naxal operation on Wednesday night after specific input of Maoists leaders of Platoon number 16 of CPI (Maoist) and members of Indrawati Area Committee. At around 11am on Thursday, an exchange of fire started. After the exchange of fire stopped, bodies of two Maoists were recovered by Narayanpur police”, the statement reads.

The operation was  carried out in the Abujhmaad forest at the tri-junction of Narayanpur, Bastar and Dantewada districts.

“Two bodies were recovered by the Narayanpur police in the morning, while in the evening, Dantewada police, led by deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Rahul Uike and DSP Ashish Netam, recovered five bodies. Five weapons were also recovered, but the grade of weapons is yet to be ascertained”, Rai said. Two weapons were recovered by the Narayanpur police.