As many as seven Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces along the Narayanpur-Bijapur border districts of Chhattisgarh on Thursday. The encounter took place during the anti-Naxal operation jointly carried out by the police forces and security forces.
The gunfight took place around 11 am, said police officials.
A statement issued by the police said that around 1,000 security personnel from Bastar, Narayanpur and Dantewada were engaged in the operation.
A joint operation, involving personnel of the District Reserve Guard from Dantewada, Narayanpur and Bastar districts, Bastar Fighters and Special Task Force -- all units of state police -- was launched on May 21 based on inputs about the presence of cadres from the Maoists' Indravati Area Committee and Platoon No 16 in the forests of Abhujmad, said Narayanpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Prabhat Kumar.
According to officials, the firing continued till evening. The bodies of seven Naxalites in 'uniform' and many weapons were recovered from the spot, the SP added.
With this encounter, a total of 112 Naxalites have been killed so far this year in separate encounters with security forces.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai praised the security forces and their operation and asserted that his government has been strongly fighting against Naxalism. "7 Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in the border area of Narayanpur-Bijapur district. Certainly, security forces have achieved great success. I salute their courage. Our government has been fighting strongly against Naxalism. Our aim is to eliminate Naxalism from the state," Sai wrote on X.
Earlier, 1o Naxalites, including three women, were killed in an encounter with security personnel in a forest along the border of Narayanpur and Kanker districts on April 30.
On May 10, 12 Naxalites were eliminated in a gunbattle near Pidia village in Bijapur district, said officials. However, local villagers and activists alleged that the encounter was staged and those killed were not Naxalites.