Fierce Naxal encounter in Chhattisgarh's Kanker, '40-50' ultras killed, says police

Concerned Police Superintendent Shalabh Sinha said the encounter lasted for about half an hour with continuous firing from both sides. Although the exact number of casualties has not been confirmed yet, the SP has estimated that around 40-50 Naxalites lost their lives in the encounter.

Kanker(Chhattisgarh):In a fierce encounter between the police and the ultras in the Tadoki area of ​​Kanker district in Chhattisgarh, the police neutralised several Naxalites on Thursday night. Concerned Police Superintendent Shalabh Sinha said the encounter lasted for about half an hour with continuous firing from both sides. Although the exact number of casualties has not been confirmed yet, the SP has estimated that around 40-50 Naxalites lost their lives in the encounter.

Sinha said that amid the railway construction going on in the Kosunda camp area in the vicinity, the police had been receiving information about potential Naxalite activities being carried out in the area. The authorities deployed a team of District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) to provide security to the construction team. The encounter, he said, began at around midnight after the officers came face to face with the Naxalites.

The firing. the SP said, lasted for about 30 minutes, after which the Naxalites started absconding. While combing the area after the encounter, the police confiscated some belongings of the Naxalites that indicates they had been staying in the area for a long time. Further investigation into the matter is ongoing, the officer said.