RAIPUR: A Maoist was killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Tuesday, while three security personnel sustained injuries in a pressure IED blast planted by Maoists during the operation, police said.
Police in a statement said that the gunfight broke out in the forest along the Sukma-Dantewada inter-district border during a joint anti-Maoist operation.
The operation had been launched on Monday based on intelligence inputs about the presence of Maoists in the region.
Personnel from the Special Task Force (STF), District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) are involved in the ongoing operation, the statement added.
Inspector general of police, Bastar range , Sunderraj P said that during the search following the encounter, the body of a male Maoist was recovered along with a large cache of arms, ammunition, explosives, and other daily-use items.
” We are yet to identify the deceased Maoist,” the IG said.
Three DRG personnel were injured when a pressure improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Maoists detonated during the operation.
“The injured have been safely evacuated and are being referred to higher medical centres for advanced treatment. Their condition is stable and out of danger,” the IG said.
The IG further added that the operation is still underway and further details, including the exact location, cannot be disclosed at this stage to ensure the safety of personnel involved.
With this latest encounter, the number of Maoists killed in Chhattisgarh this year has risen to 226. Of these, 208 were killed in the Bastar division, which comprises the districts of Bijapur, Bastar, Kanker, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Sukma, and Dantewada.