Seven Maoists Killed In Chhattisgarh's Abujmad In Second Major Operation

In Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district, at least seven Maoists were killed in a gunfight with security forces.

The bodies of seven Maoists, including two women cadres, were discovered following a fierce gunfight with security forces in Kanker district.

Seven Maoists Killed In Chhattisgarh's Abujmad: What We Know

The confrontation was initiated in the jungles of Abujhmad, situated on the volatile Narayanpur-Kanker border, where gunfire was exchanged between suspected Maoists and personnel from the Directorate General of Reserve Police (DRG) and Special Task Force (STF) on Tuesday morning, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Inspector General of Police, Bastar range, Sunderaj P, stated that the encounter occurred around 6 am in the forest between Tekmeta and Kaakur villages in Abhujmad forest.

"A joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Special Task Force (STF) was engaged in an anti-Naxal operation on Monday night following specific intelligence about senior Maoists in the forest. As they reached Kankur village, the exchange of fire commenced. After the firing ceased, bodies of seven Maoists, including two women, were recovered from the location," the IG explained, as reported by ANI.

The IG further reported that an AK-47 rifle and a cache of other weapons and explosives were seized from the site. "We have initiated a search operation, and the identities of the Maoists are yet to be confirmed," added the IG. According to police, with this incident, 88 Naxalites have been killed so far this year in separate encounters with security forces in the state's Bastar region, comprising seven districts including Narayanpur and Kanker, as per media reports.

"The encounter between personnel from the DRG and STF and Naxalites is ongoing in Abujhmad of Narayanpur-Kanker border area since this morning," an earlier statement from a police officer to ANI revealed. The operation follows days after 29 Maoists were killed in a fierce encounter with security forces, including senior Maoist leaders Shankar Rao and Lalita Meravi, who carried a reward of ₹8 lakh on their heads.