india

Updated: Mar 26, 2019 11:43 IST

Four suspected Maoists were killed on Tuesday morning in a gun battle with security forces in Sukma district of Bastar region in Chhattisgarh, police said, weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha election.

Police claimed to have recovered one automatic rifle and two country-made pistols from the Karkunguda jungles after the encounter.

“The encounter took place at around 6am in the forest under Chintalnaar police station in South Sukma. A team of CoBRA commandos along the district police were on search operation since last evening when the met Maoists in the jungles of Karkunguda,” inspector general of police (Bastar) Vivekanand Sinha said.

The encounter between the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and police personnel and Maoists took place for about 45 minutes and the bodies of four rebels were recovered after that.

“We have also recovered one Insas rifle and two .303 rifles after the combing of the area,” Sinha said.

Anti-Maoist operations have been intensified in the forests of Bastar division ahead of the Lok Sabha election 2019.

Sukma is under Bastar constituency and will vote on April 11. Chhattisgarh will vote in three phases on April 11, April 18 and April 23.

The results will be declared on May 23.