A Naxal was gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Errabor police station area of Chhattisgarh's Sukma district while a CRPF jawan was injured in a pressure bomb blast laid by Maoists in the same area.
"The face-off between a small action team of ultras and a joint team of security forces took place about 2 kms deep inside the forests from the spot where the explosion took place at around 8 am," Sukma Superintendent of Police Indira Kalyan Elesela told PTI over phone.
CRPF's head constable Dilip Kumar Boro belonging to 212th battalion had sustained injuries in the explosion while a team of paramilitaries was heading for security duty at the weekly market of Errabor village, he said.
Security forces were tasked to ensure security to the weekly market, located just about 200 meters away from the Errabor police station which lies at 500 kms away from Raipur.
Following the blast, a separate team of security personnel, comprising CRPF, Special Task Force and district force, launched an intense combing operation in the forests around the village anticipating movement of ultras, he said.
Ultras, who were present at the spot during the blast, opened indiscriminate fire on security forces following which they retaliated leading to the death of an ultra, he added.
However, other cadres soon fled from the spot. During searches, the body of the rebel besides a country-made weapon was recovered from the spot, he said adding the operation was still underway inside the jungle.
The injured head constable was admitted to a local hospital and his condition is stable, he added.
