Dantewada SP kamlochan Kashyap meets security personnel who carried out the encounter Thursday. (Express Photo) Dantewada SP kamlochan Kashyap meets security personnel who carried out the encounter Thursday. (Express Photo)

EIGHT SUSPECTED Maoists, including four women, were killed in an encounter in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh early on Thursday morning.

Senior police officers said two INSAS rifles were among the weapons recovered, indicating that the Maoists involved in the exchange of fire were high-ranking cadre. They said the security forces had not suffered any major injury.

Earlier this year, 18 Maoists were killed in two separate encounters in Bijapur district. While those operations were led by the Greyhounds, Telangana Police department’s anti-Naxal unit, with the Chhattisgarh Police playing a supporting role, the operation on Thursday was executed by the Dantewada District Reserve Guard and the Special Task Force, both units of the Chhattisgarh Police.

Confirming this, P Sundar Raj, DIG (anti-Naxal operations) said: “The encounter took place in the area between Timenar and Pusanar, along the border of Dantewada and Bijapur districts. Eight bodies of Maoists have been recovered, including four women.” He said the exchange of fire began around 6 am.

A senior police officer said two INSAS rifles, two .303 rifles and a 315 single shot rifle had been recovered. “Identification will happen once the security personnel are able to bring the bodies back to Dantewada… However, it is clear that high-level Maoist cadre were involved in the exchange of fire, as INSAS rifles have been recovered,” he said.

P Sundar Raj, DIG (Anti-Naxal Operations) told P Sundar Raj, DIG (Anti-Naxal Operations) told The Indian Express that the exchange of fire took place at 6 am. (Express Archive/Representational)

Senior police officers told The Indian Express that close to 400 personnel of the DRG and STF had left for Timenar area, following an intelligence tip-off. “The spot where the firing began is on the other side of the Bailadila mountain, where the Bijapur district limits begin, specifically under the Gangaloor police station. The teams reached in the early hours of Thursday, and the Maoist units opened fire a little before 6 am. There was heavy exchange of fire, which lasted for over an hour-and-a-half,” said a senior police officer.

“Seven bodies were recovered initially, but there was intermittent firing, so reinforcements were rushed to the spot. Later, during a search operation, an eighth body, of a woman cadre, was found. We believe the Maoist teams that were involved in the firing were from the Bhairamgarh and Gangaloor area committees,” he said.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh called up Chief Minister Raman Singh in the afternoon. A statement released by the state’s department of public relations said the Home Minister “congratulated” Raman Singh for the successful operation.

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