Sukma, 22 Nov

Ten Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Friday, a senior police official said.

The gunfight broke out in the morning in a forest within the jurisdiction of the Bhejji police station when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxalite operation, said Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P.

The operation was launched based on inputs about the presence of Maoists belonging to Konta and Kistaram area committees of Naxalites on forested hills of Korajguda, Dantespuram, Nagaram and Bhandarpadar villages, he said.

Bodies of 10 Naxalites have been recovered from the spot so far, he said.

Besides, a cache of weapons, including an INSAS rifle, an AK-47 rifle and a Self Loading Rifle (SLR), were also seized, he said.

The search operation by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is still underway in the area, he added.

With this incident, bodies of 207 Naxalites have been recovered so far this year following separate encounters in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region comprising seven districts, including Sukma, police said.