At least 20 Naxalites have been killed in an encounter with security forces in the Abujhmad area of Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh. A top leader of the Naxalites is also reported to have been killed in this encounter.
A security force personnel was injured during the exchange of fire.
The team of District Reserve Guard of Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur and Kondagaon districts of Chhattisgarh started a joint operation 2 days ago after receiving intelligence of the presence of a large number of Maoists and a top cadre of Naxalites in the Abujhmad area.
The encounter between Naxalites and security forces has continued since this morning.
Maoist leader Basava Raju was among the Maoist operatives killed in an encounter with security forces in Abujhmad area of Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district on Wednesday morning.
The Abujhmad is unsurveyed land larger than the state of Goa. While a large part of it is in Narayanpur, it also extends to Bijapur, Dantewada, Kanker and Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district.
This comes less than a month after security forces undertook a major anti-Naxal operation codenamed ‘Black Forest’ in and around Kareguttalu hills on Chhattisgarh-Telangana border. Although the encounter was called off after 21 days, top officials claimed that key Maoist leadership and the dreaded Battalion 1 of their armed wing People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army took a heavy hit.