Former Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh and senior Congress leader TS Singh Deo on Thursday attributed the violence in the state to Naxal groups who refused to abandon violence and arms.
The encounter in Bijapur district broke out on Thursday morning during a search operation carried out by security forces in Bijapur district. In a separate operation in Kanker district, four Naxalites were killed during a gunfight near a village.
"Search operations had been going on in the area of Gangaloor, in between Bijapur and Dantewada. So far, the bodies of 18 Naxalites have been recovered, and one of our DRG jawan Raju has also been martyred. The entire government stands with the family, may God give them strength," the Chh
The Union Home Minister stressed the zero-tolerance policy against Naxals who fail to surrender. Shah said that the country would be "Naxal-free" before March 31 next year.
Security forces have killed a total of 22 Naxalites in two separate operations in Bijapur and Kanker districts of Chhattisgarh, police said on Thursday.
Police said, "Naxalites carried out an IED blast in Abujhmad today. Due to the blast, dust and mud entered the eyes of a jawan and an officer, after which they were evacuated from the operation area for treatment. No one suffered any serious injuries in the IED blast."
The security forces were engaged in an exchange of fire with Naxals in the forest area at the Bijapur-Dantewada border in Chhattisgarh on Thursday morning
The two IED's along with other naxal materials were recovered from the jungles during a joint operation of Chaibasa police and CRPF under Tonto police station limits, police said.