Raipur, May 23
A Maoist was killed in an armed confrontation with security forces in Sukma district, Chhattisgarh, on Friday.
Reports from police sources indicate that the Maoist was killed in the exchange of gunfire, while a search operation is still underway in the Kistaram police station area.
Authorities received intelligence suggesting the presence of a large number of Maoists in the dense forests of Kistaram.
Acting upon the information, a joint task force comprising the District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force, and Commando Battalion for Resolute Action was deployed for a search operation.
As security personnel arrived at the location, the Naxalites opened fire, prompting an immediate retaliation.
Sukma Police confirmed that one Maoist was killed during the encounter.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma carried the mortal remains of CoBRA battalion soldier Mehul Solanki, who lost his life in the encounter between security forces and Maoists in the forest area of Abujhmad in Narayanpur on May 21.
Among those neutralised in recent anti-Naxal operations was Basava Raju, a notorious Maoist leader with a bounty of Rs ten crore on his head. Raju was killed during an encounter on the Narayanpur-Dantewada border in Chhattisgarh on Wednesday.