Balaghat: A Naxalite has been killed in an encounter between Hawkforce and Naxalites in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Friday. An official said that the encounter broke out during a search operation by the security forces in the early hours today in the forest of Kundal-Koddapar (Songuda) under Rupjhar police station limits of the district.
According to a police official, the search operation was launched by the joint forces of the Madhya Pradesh Police and Hawkforce following specific intelligence inputs aout the presence of Naxals in the forest area. As the joint forces of the MP police and Hawkforce approached the suspected site, the hiding Naxals opened fire at the forces to which the security forces retaliated thereby triggering an encounter, the police official said.
Also read: Security forces foil major Maoist attack, recover huge cache of arms from Bihar's Gaya
In the ensuing firefight between the Naxals and the security forces, one Naxalite was killed in the encounter, the police official said. The slain Naxalite has been identified as Kamlu, 25, a resident of Bijapur Chhattisgarh. A rifle has been recovered from his possession. A police official said that slain Kamlu was an active member of Tada Dadeksa Dalam, and carried a bounty of Rs 14 lakh on his head.
According to the police official, an unknown number of Naxalites have been injured in the encounter and escaped from the site of the encounter by taking advantage of the dense forests. Intensive search is still going on in the forest to nab the fleeing Naxalites. IG, SP and CEO Hawkforce are monitoring the search operation in the area.
