Five CoBRA personnel, including three officials, were injured during a gun-battle with Naxals that happened in a forested patch of insurgency-hit Sukma district, police said on Thursday.
Special Director General (anti-Naxal operations) DM Awasthi informed that four separate encounters happened between police and Maoist outlaws in Bastar region; however, as the incident spot were deep in jungles, the details were awaited. One of the incidents occurred at Kistaram, he said.
The encounter happened in the restive Dabbamarka forests under Kistaram police station limits when a joint team of CoBRA’s (Compact Battalion for Resolute Action) and district force had face-off with Naxals during an anti-insurgency operation, a senior police officer informed.
The operation was intelligence-based action. Police had got information that a group of armed Naxals were camping in forests and accordingly the police party was moved into the jungle, he said.
After a brief gun fight, ultras fled away from the spot. later on, while security forces were evacuating the injured official again an encounter broke out between both the sides, he said.
After the ensuing gunfight that lasted for around an hour, rebels fled into the core forest areas after finding police teams dominating them, he said.
“Commandant PS Yadav, Assistant Commandant Yogendar, Head Constable Santosh and a constable, belonging to 208th battalion CoBRA have sustained minor injuries in the second gunfight,” he informed.
According to the police, a chopper has been sent to evacuate the injured personnel from the forests. Further details are awaited, the officer said.