Naxal killed in encounter with security forces

A Naxal was killed in a fierce gun-battle with security personnel in Maoist-hit Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, police said on Thursday.

A huge cache of arms and ammunition was also recovered from the encounter spot, they said. "The face off between the ultras and the joint group of CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) and district force took place in the forests of Kurcholi hills under Gangalur police station limits late last night," Bijapur additional superintendent of police Vivek Shukla told PTI over phone.

"The patrol party has reached its camp this afternoon, after conducting the operation," he said. The security personnel had been conducting anti-naxal operations in the interior parts of the Gangalur, which is over 400 kms from the state capital Raipur, for the past two days, he said. They had inputs that the Maoists were hiding in Kurcholi and Bodlapusnar areas.

On seeing the police-team near Kurcholi hills, rebels opened indiscriminate fire on the team following which they retaliated, leaving a Maoist dead. The decaesed has been identified as Hemla Munna (29), a member of military company II of outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist).

Several others received bullet injuries but the ultras managed to take them to the core forest taking advantage of the hilly forest, the ASP said.

A 12 bore gun, a 9 mm pistol, a country-made pistol, live cartridges, pressure bomb, petrol bomb, couple of grenades and Naxal literature were also recovered from the spot, he added.