Bijapur: Five security personnel were killed and twelve others injured on Saturday in an encounter with Naxals at a forest in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, a top police officer said.
"Separate joint teams of security forces, over 2,000 in number, had launched a major anti-Naxal operation from Bijapur and Sukma districts in the South Bastar forests, considered as the Maoist stronghold, on Friday night," state's Deputy Inspector General (anti-Naxal operations) OP Pal said.
The personnel belonging to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), its elite unit CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action), the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Special Task Force (STF) were involved in the operation launched from five places - Tarrem, Usoor and Pamed (Bijapur) and Minpa and Narsapuram (Sukma), he said.
"At around 12 noon on Saturday, an encounter broke out between the patrolling team that was dispatched from Tarrem and ultras belonging PLGA (Peoples' Liberation Guerilla Army) battalion of Maoists near Jonaguda village under Jagargunda police station area (in Sukma)," Pal said, adding the gunfight lasted for about three hours.
"Of the martyred personnel, one belonged to the CoBRA unit and two each are from the DRG and the 'Bastariya' battalion of the CRPF," the DIG said.
He said a woman Naxal was also gunned down in the encounter.
Citing the "ground report", Pal claimed that Maoists have suffered a huge loss in the gunfight.
"Reinforcements were rushed to the spot and the operation was underway to evacuate injured jawans as well as the bodies from the forest through helicopters," he said.
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Meanwhile, P Sundarraj, IG Bastar, said, "According to initial information, at least 9 Naxals have been killed and around 15 others were injured in the encounter. We will need more time to confirm this."
As per sources, the Indian Air Force deployed Mi-17 helicopters to help the paramilitary forces in rescue operations.
Notably, on March 23, five DRG personnel were killed when Naxals blew up a bus carrying the security personnel with an IED in the Narayanpur district.
However, unofficial reports state that at least seven security personnel were killed and twenty four others injured in the encounter.
(With inputs from PTI)
