Operation Prahar-4: 2 police personnel and 9 naxals killed in Chhattisgarh's Sukma

Sukma, Nov 26: Two police personnel and nine Naxals were killed in an ongoing encounter between Naxals and security personnel on Friday in the forest area of Saklar village in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district.

The gun battle took place at a forest in Kistaram area bordering Telangana, around 500 km from Raipur when a team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxal operation, Sukma's superintendent of police Abhishek Meena told PTI.

DM Awasthi, Special DG Anti-Naxal Ops, said, "Total 1200 security personnel from STF, DRG, CRPF's CoBRA and special teams from Telangana took part in 'Operation Prahar-4'. The operation was launched yesterday in Battalion 1 area of Naxals in Saletong, Bade Kedwal,Sakler and nearby areas."

"District Reserve Guard (DRG) team reached Sakler this morning and an encounter started at around 9:40 am. It continued for around 1 & half hour. Dozens of Naxals probably killed. 9 bodies of Naxals recovered. Two Naxals were carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh, " the officer said.

On Sunday, two Naxals were killed and a police personnel was injured in encounters in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Bijapur district. The gunbattles took place when teams of police's District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Special Task Force (STF) were out on anti-Naxal operations in Gangaloor and Madded areas.

Superintendent of Police Mohit Garg said that a combined squad of DRG and STF was cordoning off the jungles between Nilamadgu and Korinjed in Madded area, 450 kilometres from Raipur when it came under fire from the rebels.

All the Maoists belonged to the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army of the Communist Party of India (Maoist). The joint operation was launched in the core area of Maoists stronghold and the encounter has been a major success.

The exchange of fire lasted for 40 minutes after which the Naxals fled, he said. "A DRG jawan sustained a bullet injury in the neck. He is being shifted to hospital," Garg said.

The body of a Naxal was recovered along with one .303 rifle and one muzzle-loading gun from the spot, he said. Elsewhere, an exchange of fire broke out between a DRG team and Naxals around 2.30 pm in a forest near Borje village in Gangaloor area, the SP said.

In the year 2017, at least 685 Naxalites have surrendered as opposed to the 1,442 surrenders in 2016. Until 31 March 2018, at least 157 Naxalites have surrendered, the Home Ministry data states.