At least two security personnel were killed and six others injured in a deadly encounter with Maoists in Chhattisgarh's restive Sukma district on Sunday.
The encounter took place in a forested area under the Bhejji police station when a joint team of the Special Task Force, District Reserve Guard and local police was out on an “area-domination operation”, Deputy Inspector General of Police (South Bastar range) Sundarraj P told reporters at Jagdalpur town, headquarters of Bastar region.
“As the team was passing through the forest between Bhejji and Elarmadgu, around 500 km south from state capital Raipur, it came under heavy firing from the Maoists, leading to the gun-battle,’’ the senior police officer said.
He confirmed that two assistant constables - Madkam Handa and Mukesh Kadthi - were martyred and two Special Task Force constables and four District Reserve Guard personnel were injured in the encounter that followed after the rebels unleashed the attack.
Senior officials at police headquarters in Raipur informed that all weapons of the martyred and injured jawans were safe and the injured had been airlifted to the state capital for better treatment.
Police did not rule out the possibility of casualties on the rebel side. The injured security personnel have been identified as Sakvan Raja, Chappa Rakesh, Shivram Soni, Padam Soyam, Roop Singh Poyam and Sodi Bachcha.
In another incident between Bhejji and Elarmadgu, where a road construction project is underway, Maoists killed Anil Kumar, the supervisor of the private contractor, and set vehicles engaged in the road construction work ablaze.
Meanwhile in a separate incident in Sukma, a Naxal was gunned down on Sunday in an encounter with security forces.
The skirmish took place this afternoon in forests under Errabor police station limits when security forces were out on an anti-Naxal operation.
The exchange of fire broke out between the two sides near Errabor, located around 500 kms away from here.
After guns fell silent, security forces recovered body of a Naxal.