A hardcore Maoist carrying cash reward of Rs5 lakh on his head was gunned down in an encounter with security forces in a forested patch of insurgency hit Bastar district, a senior police officer said here on Thursday.
“The incident happened on Thursday morning while a joint team of District Reserve Group (DRG) and Special Task Force (STF) was carrying out an anti-insurgency operation in a forested patch of Mardoom police station limits,” Superintendent of Police (SP) Bastar RN Dash said.
The operation was executed on the basis of specific information provided by intelligence agencies, he said.
While security forces were cordoning off a forest pocket, they were attacked by a squad of ultras belonging to Barsoor Area Committee of Maoist, the SP said.
The gun-battle lasted for about an hour before the ultras fled from the spot, he said.
later on, while searching the area, body of one male Maoist clad in ‘uniform’, two 315 bore rifles, one
directional pipe bomb with its container, and huge dump of other Naxal-related items recovered from the spot, he added.
“The uniformed Maoist was identified as Baman, a local Guerrilla Squad (lGS) Commander and Barsoor Area committee member. The insurgent was very notorious and responsible for several past incidents in Bastnar ghat and KK railway line,” the SP said while adding that state Government had declared cash reward of Rs5 lakh on his head.