Two hardcore Naxals, including a woman, were killed in an encounter with the security forces in a forested patch of insurgency-hit Sukma district, police said on Monday.
The encounter occurred around 7 am in the forest near Kanhaiguda village under Konta police station limits when a team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was out on a counter-insurgency operation, Superintendent of Police Sukma Shalabh Sinha confirmed.
“The DRG patrolling team was advancing through the forest -- located around 90 km from district headquarters Sukma – when a gun battle broke out with Naxals,” the SP said.
“After the firing stopped, we found the bodies of two ultras, including one woman, clad in uniform,” he added.
Two firearms, 250-300 gelatin rods two improvised explosive devices (IED) along with other items were also recovered from the spot, the officer said.
The bodies were identified as that of Madkam Nanda, a member of Maoist South Baster division (division training team commander) and Sodhi Gangi, a platoon commander of Maoist platoon number 4.
Madkam carried a cash reward of Rs 8 lakh on his head while there was a reward of Rs 2 lakh on Sodhi.
The SP said patrolling had been beefed up in the forests and interiors of all seven districts of the Bastar division - Dantewada, Bijapur, Bastar, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, Sukma and Kanker - as Maoists are observing “martyrs’ week” from July 28 to August 3.