Bijapur: Two commandos of the Central Reserve Police Force's jungle warfare unit CoBRA were injured in an encounter between security forces and Naxalites while five Naxals including a woman were arreste in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur and Kanker districts, police said on Monday. An official said that an encounter broke out between security forces and Naxalites at around 8 pm on Sunday in Bijapur, located around 400 km from the state capital Raipur.
The encounter broke out shortly after a joint team of the District Reserve Guard and the CRPF's Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) launched a search operation following specific inputs about an improvised explosive device (IED) planted between Pusnar and Hiroli villages under Gangaloor police station limits.
As the security forces approached the suspected spot, the hiding Naxals opened fire on the CoBRA personnel in which two constables Nakul and Mohammad Shahid, belonging to CoBRA's 202nd battalion, suffered from injuries on their hands and legs in the face-off, the official said. They were were shifted to the Bijapur district hospital and their condition was stated to be out of danger, he said.
In the retaliatory fire by the security forces, two-three Naxalites were also injured in the gun battle but managed to escape from the spot. A search operation was underway in the area when reports last came in. Meanwhile, the security forces have arrested five prominent Naxals including a woman Naxalite in Kanker and Bijaypur districts of Chhattisgarh, officials said.
It is learnt that the arrests were made on Sunday. The Naxalites arrested in Kanker had a bounty of Rs 8 lakh each while in Bijapur a female Naxalite with a bounty of Rs 3 lakhs was caught by the security forces, an official said. According to the official, the Naxalites were arrested during an anti-Naxal operation carried out by the DRG, women commandos and 170/A company of the Central Reserve Police Force.
During the subsequent search operation by the security forces, a young man and a young woman were seen approaching the checkpoint on a motorcycle bearing registration number CG 10NC/5458 Hero Deluxe from Kandulnar in a suspicious condition. As the duo approached the checkpoint, they tried to run away on seeing the security forces.
Suspecting them to be Naxalites, security forces and women commandos chased them and arrested them at a distance, an official said. During interrogation, both confessed to be working for the Naxalite organization. The name of the arrested woman Naxalite is Sukki Poonem alias Kumari Poonem while the male Naxal has been identified as Vineet Irpa.
An official said that Kumari Poonem was active in the Naxalite organization as deputy commander and carried a bounty of Rs 3 lakh. The security forces have also recovered anti-government posters from the possession of the arrested duo. The female Naxalite is accused of being involved in the murder of a villager on March 18, 2023 in village Agampalli Patelpara.
Earlier, on March 25, 2020, she was also accused to be involved in the incident of arson in Poklen. In Kanker, three naxalites were arrested while an 8 kg IED and walkie talkie were recovered from their possession.
