Five Maoists gunned down in two separate encounters in Chhattisgarh: Police

Five alleged Maoists were gunned down by security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region in two separate encounters — one took place at the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border and the other at the border of Sukma-Dantewada districts of Chhattisgarh.

According to Bastar inspector general of police, P Sundarraj, the first encounter was between the armed Maoists and Telangana’s Greyhounds assisted by Chhattisgarh’s DRG (District Reserve Guard) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Tuesday morning. “We had information that about 40-50 armed Maoists including senior Maoist leader Sudhakar were present in Perur, Ilmidi and Usur areas of Bijapur and Telangana border,” Sundarraj said. He further added, “The encounter took place between the security forces and Maoists in the border area of village Semaldodi of Elmidi police station in Bijapur district and Penugolu village of Perur police station in Telangana state.”

In the encounter, a jawan of the Greyhounds was injured and later, airlifted for treatment to Warangal. “After the encounter, during a search operation, four bodies of Maoists, including one female were recovered. We are yet to ascertain their identities,” a senior police official said.

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In the second encounter which occurred in Marjum area and Pratapgiri hills of Sukma and Dantewada districts respectively, body of one female Maoist, identified as Munni, a member of Katekalyan area committee was recovered, police officials said. “We had information that 20-25 armed cadres had gathered in the area, after which an operation by the DRG was carried out on Tuesday,” Sundarraj said.

Arms and ammunition were also retrieved from both the locations, the Bastar police said