Ten Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Friday, a senior police official said. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai hailed security forces and said the era of peace and progress has returned to the Bastar region, which includes Sukma.

The gunfight broke out in the morning in a forest within the jurisdiction of the Bhejji police station when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxalite operation, said Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P.

The operation was launched based on inputs about the presence of Maoists belonging to Konta and Kistaram area committees of Naxalites on forested hills of Korajguda, Dantespuram, Nagaram and Bhandarpadar villages, he said.

Bodies of 10 Naxalites have been recovered from the spot so far, he said. Besides, a cache of weapons, including an INSAS rifle, an AK-47 rifle and a Self Loading Rifle (SLR), were also seized, he said.

The search operation by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is still underway in the area, he added.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai praised security forces and asserted that his government’s priority is to establish peace, facilitate development and ensure the safety of citizens in the Bastar region.

“Security forces gunned down 10 Naxalites in a major operation in Sukma district this morning. The state government has been working on the policy of zero tolerance towards Naxalism. Ensuring development, peace and safety of citizens in Bastar is the top priority of the state government. The era of peace, development and progress has returned to Bastar,” Sai said in a statement.