Bhopal: In a pre-dawn swoop, security forces on Monday raided a Maoist camp in Gumma forest in Chhattisgarh’s south Bastar district of Sukma, killing 15 ultras. This was the biggest blow suffered by ultras in the three-decade-long Left-wing insurgency history of Bastar, a sprawling region of 40,000 sq km, in south Chhattisgarh.
An area commander of the outfit was arrested during the encounter that took place near Tolkatong village early on Monday morning. “This was the most successful counterinsurgency operation carried out in Bastar so far”, special director general of police (Naxal operation) DM Awasthi said. This is a second setback suffered by Maoists in Bastar region in last fortnight. On July 19, eight ultras were gunned down in an encounter with security forces in south Bastar district of Dantewada.
