Bastar: At least five Maoists were killed in a massive encounter in the Abujhmad area in Chhattisgarh ‘s Bastar region on Saturday. The massive gun battle that took place between the team of joint forces and the Maoists on Saturday resulted in the killing of five Maoists. At least two security personnel also sustained injuries during the encounter and were shifted to a hospital for treatment. The condition of both the security personnel is claimed to be stable. 

Inspector General (IG) of the Bastar Range, Sundarraj P said, “A joint search operation involving personnel of district reserve guards (DRG), special task force (STF), Bastar Fighters and Border Security Force (BSF) was launched in the Abujhmad in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region.” 

“An exchange of fire took place between the security forces and the Maoists many times. After conducting the search operation of the area, the dead bodies of five Naxalites including two women Maoists were recovered. Weapons were also recovered,” the IG stated. 

The police official further stated that two jawans were also injured in the operations and have been admitted to the hospital.

The police official said that the gunfight broke out at around 8 am in a forest in north Abujhmad along the border of Narayanpur and Kanker districts when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxalite operation. The bodies of five Naxalites and a cache of firearms have been recovered from the spot so far and a search operation is still underway in the area.

Including this incident, the bodies of 197 Naxalites have been recovered so far this year following separate encounters in the state’s Bastar region, comprising seven districts including Kanker and Narayanpur, police said.

Further, a search operation has been launched in the jungle of the Bastar region to track the Maoists involved in the gunfight with the security forces in the jungle.