A Maoist was gunned down in an exchange of fire between the ultras and security forces at a village in Bijapur district, police said on
Monday.
The skirmish took place Sunday late night in Basaguda village leaving one Maoist dead, said Bijapur District Superintendent of Police (SP) Kl Dhruv.
A joint team of Commando Battalion for Resolute Action’s (CoBRA) 204th battalion and District Force had left for a counter-insurgency operation from Basaguda police station on Sunday night, he said.
After crossing Talperu River, which cuts Basaguda habitation into two parts, when the security forces were advancing, a small group of ultras hiding in the forest triggered blasts of two pipe bombs following which a gun battle broke out between the two sides, the SP said.
The insurgents, however, soon escaped from the spot on finding the security personnel zeroing-in on them. later, during search, the body of a rebel, a tiffin bomb, detonator and electric wires were recovered from the spot, he said.
No harm was reported to security forces in the encounter. Although, according to police jawans, some more ultras were hit by bullets, they managed to flee into the dense forest with the help of their colleagues, Dhruv added.
Prima facie it appears that the rebels had come to the spot to plant explosives in the night to harm the security men but their bid was foiled by the patrolling team, he said.
The identity of the killed rebel was yet to be ascertained, the SP added.