Naxalite killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada

Dantewada (Chhattisgarh) [India], April 5 (ANI): A Naxalite was killed in an encounter between security forces in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada on Friday, a police official said.
The encounter took place in a forest under Kirandul police station limits when District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were out on an anti-Naxal operation, the official said.
"The operation was launched on Thursday based on inputs about the presence of Maoists in Purangel, Badepalli, Doditumnar and Gampur areas. After the exchange of fire ended, the body of a male Naxalite and a weapon were recovered from the spot," officials said.
Further details are awaited.
Earlier on April 3, the police said that a total of 13 Naxals were killed in the encounter with the security agencies in Bijapur.
The fierce firefight that broke out on Tuesday ended on Wednesday, the security forces informed through an official release, adding that the toll on the Naxal side could mount further as many more are believed to be injured and are still not accounted for.
"Chhattisgarh Police recorded one of its biggest successes in the history of anti-Naxal operations. We can now confirm that in the operation conducted by more than a thousand security forces in the Lendra and Korcholi areas of Gangalur in Bijapur district on the night of April 1 and April 2, 13 Naxals were killed. Their bodies have been recovered. We have also received reports that a large number of Naxals are seriously injured," Inspector General of Police (IG), Bastar Range, P Sundarraj, said on Wednesday.
The police said the area where the firefight took place was considered a safe haven for Naxalites but, over the last three months, 16 new camps of security forces have come up in the area.
Bijapur district comes under the Bastar Lok Sabha constituency, which will go to polls in the first phase of general elections on April 19.
Elections in the 11 parliamentary constituencies of Chhattisgarh will take place in three phases on April 19, 26 and May 7. The counting of votes will be done on June 4.
The BJP, which has a stronghold in Chhattisgarh, won 9 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha, while the Indian National Congress (INC) was limited to only 2 seats. In the 2014 election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 10 seats, while the INC only managed to win one seat. (ANI)