Narayanpur/Raipur, 30 April

Nine Naxalites, including three women, were killed in an encounter with security personnel in a forest along the border of Narayanpur and Kanker districts in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, state's Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma said. This is the second major strike on Naxalites by security forces in 15 days.

Sharma, in a video statement, termed it as a major success in the anti-Naxal operation in the State. According to police, the latest gunfight took place at 6am in the forest between Tekmeta and Kakur villages in Abhujmad area, considered as a stronghold of Naxalites, when a joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Special Task Force (STF) was out on an anti-Naxal operation.

The operation was launched on Monday night and the encounter took place in the Abhujmad area on the border of Narayanpur and Kanker districts on Tuesday morning, said Deputy CM Sharma, who also holds Home portfolio. "Nine Naxalites, including three women, were gunned down and their bodies have been recovered. No harm was reported to security personnel in the face-off," he said.

An AK-47 rifle and a cache of other arms, ammunition and explosives were also seized from the spot, he said, terming the action as a major success. Sharma congratulated the security personnel for the success.

He also appealed to Naxalites to give up arms and join the mainstream. "The state government led by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai wants a solution to this issue through talks. If any Naxalite, or a big or small group wants to talk through video call or a mediator, we are ready and will arrange better rehabilitation for them. We urge them to join the mainstream. We want peace to prevail in Bastar and development to take place there," Sharma said.

The identity of the killed Naxalites was yet to be ascertained, police said. 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, according to police.

On 16 April, 29 Naxalites were gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Kanker district.