Six naxalites suspected killed in encounter near Gadchiroli

Nagpur, Dec 22 (UNI) Six naxalites are suspected to have been killed in an encounter with the police in Gadchiroli district in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra this morning.

The police have found the bodies of three of them and also recovered arms and explosives from the spot, near the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border.

Gadchiroli district Superintendent of Police (SP) Shirish Jain told UNI over telephone that the encounter occurred in the dense forests in Gatpajambia in Etapalli tehsil of the district during a joint combing operation of the Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh police along with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

The combing was being carried out after receiving inputs from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) that naxalites had put up a camp in the area, Mr Jain said.

The encounter occurred when the naxalites opened fire on the patrolling parties and also triggered two blasts, he said. ''We suspect that six naxalites have been killed in the encounter. The bodies of three naxalites have been found so far. Details are awaited, '' he also said.

Mr Jain said the police recovered two boxes containing 30 to 40 kilograms of explosives, two weapons, a television set, a power generator and five tents from the spot.

Three commando squads of the Maharashtra police, two parties of the Chhattisgarh police and one platoon of the CRPF were participating in the joint combing operation, he said.

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