A gunfight broke out around 8.30 am in the forest area under Gangaloor police station, where eight Naxalites were killed during an encounter with security forces.
According to the Superintendent of Police, Bijapur, Jitendra Yadav, "5 Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces. The bodies of 2 female naxals and 3 male naxals have been recovered. The identification of the deceased is yet to be done."
In a significant development, five members of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) surrendered before the police in Bhadradri Kothagudem district, Telangana police said in a press release.
Maoists allegedly strangle a 35-year-old villager, Kudiyam Madho, in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, accusing him of being a police informer. A similar incident occurred on Saturday, where a woman was killed on suspicion of being an informer.
A joint search operation by the CRPF was launched in Bijapur after receiving information about the presence of Maoists in the Usur-Basaguda-Pamed-Tarrem area on Friday, a statement said.
Following the deaths of two security personnel who lost their lives in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast triggered by naxals in Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed condolences, saying that the fight will continue till Maoism is eliminated.
Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma appealed to the Naxals to join the mainstream and find solutions through talks with the government. His appeal came hours after 12 Naxalites were killed in an encounter in Bijapur on Friday.