A suspected Naxal was shot dead following a gun battle between security forces and ultras in a forested patch of insurgency-hit Bijapur district, police said on Thursday.
The encounter happened in the jungles near Korcholi village on Wednesday evening, Superintendent of Police (SP) Bijapur SP Kl Dhruv informed. A joint team of district police and CoBRA (Commando Battalions for Resolute Action) had started on an anti-insurgency operation from Basaguda police station on November 22. The joint team which was bifurcated into two teams headed out towards separate villages, he said.
According to Dhruv, one team which was carrying out search operation in the jungles of Korcholi had a face-off with armed Naxals who opened fire on the police party.
The security personnel retaliated and after intermittent firing lasting over an hour, Naxals disappeared in the core jungle areas. later on, while searching the encounter spot, body of a man was found who is yet to be identified, the SP said.
A 12 bore rifle, muzzle gun, live bullets, hand grenade, tiffin bomb, detonators, cordex wires, First Aid box along with Naxal posters and items of daily use were also found at the spot, Dhruv said.