3 Naxalites Killed in Encounter with Security Personnel in Chhattisgarh

Raipur: Three ‘hardcore’ Maoists were on Thursday gunned down in an encounter with security forces in a forest in Sukma district under south Bastar in Chhattisgarh.

The encounter took place in the Gandiguda forest under Gollapalli police station, police said.

Bodies of three Maoists including a woman were recovered along with weapons and explosives at the encounter site, Sukma district superintendent of police Kiran Chavan said.

According to him, acting on the specific intelligence inputs on the presence of armed Maoists in the forest, a search operation involving district reserve guard (DRG), Sukma, was launched in the area.

The security forces came under attack by the Maoists in the Gandiguda forest at around 11.30 am, leading to an encounter between them.

The encounter lasted around five hours, police said.

One nine mm service pistol, one 12 bore rifle, a country made rifle, known in local parlance ‘Bharmar’, and explosives were also recovered at the encounter site, Mr. Chavan said.

The slain Maoists have been identified as Madvi Joga alias Munna, a member of the Konta Area Committee of Maoists, Sodhi Bondi, a member of the Kistaram Area Committee, and Nuppon Bajni, member of the local operational squad (LOS).

While Madvi and Sodhi carried a bounty of Rs five lakh each, Nuppon had a reward of Rs two lakh on her head.

According to Bastar inspector general of police P Sunderraj, as many as 255 Maoists including several Central Committee members and Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) members were killed in separate encounters in Bastar in the current year so far.

Total 503 Maoists were killed in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh in the last two years.