NAGPUR, Maharashtra: Ten alleged members of the outlawed Communist Party of India ( Maoist) were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Bijapur district of south Chhattisgarh on Thursday.
The encounter took place in Bhairamgad block of Bijapur.
“A joint team of Chhattisgarh police’s Special Task Force and District Reserve Guard had left Bhairamgad police station last night after receiving intelligence inputs about the presence of senior Maoists in Abujmad area. A training camp for the Maoist militia was also being conducted in this area. This joint team, led by police sub-inspector Sunil Tirki, came face to face with the Maoists in Borga village. An exchange of fire took place between this team and the Maoists. Our team has recovered 10 uniformed dead bodies of the Maoists from the spot of this encounter. It was a major success for us and came at the very beginning of 2019 ” Chhattisgarh’s Director General of Police D.M Awasthi said in a press conference in Raipur.
The DGP informed that the STF-DRG team comprised of 150 personnel and around 40 to 50 Maoists were present at the spot of the encounter.
“Since this area was not suitable for evacuation by a chopper, ground reinforcements have been sent to get back this team back to the base camp,” he added.
To a question on why there was no damage to the security forces despite 10 Maoists being killed in the exchange of fire, the DGP said that there was no question of a fake encounter inside 25 kilometers inside Abujhmad which is a Maoist den.
This was the first such operation against the Maoists since the Congress party came to power in Chhattisgarh after assembly elections in December last year.