Hours after 10 Naxals were killed in an encounter with the District Reserve Guard (DRG) in Chhattisgarh's Sukma, the State Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao on Friday said that by the efforts of the security forces, the Bastar district would be Naxal-free very soon.
Inspector General (IG) Bastar, P Sundarraj said, "An encounter is ongoing between DRG (District Reserve Guard) and naxals in southern Sukma. An exchange of fire has been underway since morning. The search operation is underway."
The death toll of Naxals rose to 31 in the ongoing joint operation by DRG Dantewada and STF Narayanpur in the Maad area on the Narayanpur-Dantewada border, said police.
Two personnel of the District Reserve Guards (DRG) were injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast by Naxalites in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Thursday, police said.
Sharing details of the ongoing exchange of fire, a police officer informed that a joint security team from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Special Task Force (STF) were involved in the operation.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai lauded the DRG and BSF personnel for their successful operation after 29 Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in Kanker district on Tuesday and termed it a "big achievement."
A total of 29 Naxals were killed and three security personnel sustained injuries in an encounter that broke out in Chhattisgarh's Kanker, which lies in the Bastar region, officials said.
Ten Naxals including a woman Naxalite were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur, Bastar IG, P Sundarraj said on Tuesday.
The encounter broke around 6 am on Tuesday at Lendra village in Bijapur after a joint search operation by the District Reserve Group (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) that commenced on Monday night from