Dealing a blow to the Maoists, security forces on Tuesday gunned down three ultras, including a woman cadre, after storming the Naxal den of Abujhmad in Chhattisgarh’s south Bastar district of Narayan
Dealing a blow to the Maoists, security forces on Tuesday gunned down three ultras, including a woman cadre, after storming the Naxal den of Abujhmad in Chhattisgarh’s south Bastar district of Narayanpur.
A massive counter-insurgency operation involving around 700 personnel drawn from the district reserve group, special task force, Indo-Tibetan Boarder Police and Chhattisgarh Armed Force was launched at around 9.30 am in the Sulenga Tirkanar jungle under Dhaurai police station, Bastar range IGP S.R.P. Kalluri said.
However, the joint search party was ambushed in the jungle by a group of armed guerrillas leading to a fierce gunbattle between them that lasted nearly two hours.
The security forces chased the ultras in the forest for around three km but the latter managed to flee, he said.
Later, the bodies of three Naxals, including a woman, were recovered at the encounter site. Besides, one Insas rifle, one 315 rifle, one 12 bore gun and two country-made guns were recovered from the spot.
“We are in the process of identifying the bodies”, a senior police officer in Narayanpur district told this newspaper.
“Recovery of INSAS rifle near the bodies of the Naxals indicates that one of the deceased might be a commander-ranked rebel cadre”, the police officer said.
According to him, two more ultras have been killed in the encounter. But, their bodies were taken away by the fleeing Maoists.
Security forces described the encounter death of at least three Naxals in Abujhmad, considered impregnable fort of Maoists, as a major setback for the ultras.
“The area is completely dominated by Maoists. Tuesday’s successful operation against the ultras in their own den has dealt a severe blow to them”, the police officer said.
