RAIPUR: Six Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces on Tuesday with recovery of bodies of cadres and a cache of arms and explosives in forests of Indravati National Park area of Bastar’s Bijapur district. The encounter which is still on, began at around 10 am and intermittent firing went till 5:30 pm. Officials said one injured Maoist was taken into custody from the encounter site; he is undergoing medical treatment.
Bijapur superintendent of police Jitendra Yadav, personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) Bijapur, DRG Dantewada and the Special Task Force (STF) launched an anti-Naxal operation following specific intelligence about the presence of Maoist presence in Taralagud area — in the Annaram forests.An encounter broke out between security forces and Maoists in the morning and when the guns fell silent for some time in the evening, a search was carried out in the area and six Maoist bodies were recovered with weapons from the encounter site. Recovered items at the scene included automatic rifles (INSAS), sten guns, a .303 rifle and other small arms, along with explosives, detonators and Maoist paraphernalia, officials said. The seized material is being catalogued and forensically examined, Bastar range IG P Sundarraj said.Sundarraj described the result of the operation as “a decisive and significant gain” for security forces. The IG said the success came at a time when the Maoist organisation had been reduced to smaller hideouts and was suffering from lack of leadership, direction and morale. He added that additional DRG, STF, Bastar fighters, CRPF teams were dispatched to neighbouring areas to isolate any fleeing cadres. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai responded to the operation stating: “The campaign against red terror is ongoing; Naxalism is coming to an end. Killing of six Maoists is a major success for our security personnel in the direction of eradicating red terror, and I salute their courage.”Citing safety concerns for the troops engaged and since the operation was still in progress, police officials said that further details to the encounter will be divulged once the operation concludes. Search and clearance operations across the area remain active.Bastar IG told TOI, “So far this year, 230 Maoists have been killed in Bastar division comprising seven districts and over 1300 surrendered.”
