4 Naxals killed in encounter with police in Chhattisgarh

Four Naxals, including a commander-rank cadre, were on Friday killed in a fierce gun-battle with police in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district.

“The operation was conducted by a team of the state’s District Reserve Group this morning after they got a tip-off about movement of Naxals in Mirtur police station area of the district,” Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, S R P Kalluri said, while calling the operation a success.

Acting on the information, the DRG team comprising 55 personnel was mobilised to the interiors of Mirtur, located around 450 kilometre from the state capital, Kalluri said.

As police cordoned off a forest axis between Hallur and Hakwa villages, a group of armed insurgents opened indiscriminate fire on them triggering a gun-battle between the two sides, the IG said.

“The gunfight lasted about an hour. On finding the security personnel zeroing-in on them, the rebels fled into the core forest,” he said.

“Later, during a search of the spot, bodies of four Naxals in ‘uniform’ were found. Four weapons -- a pistol, a 303 rifle, a 315 bore rifle and a 12 bore gun -- were also found from the spot,” he said.

He said one of the Naxals killed in the encounter has been identified as Rainu, who was commander of Bairamgarh area committee’s action team.

Further details of the operation will be known once the DRG team returns to its camp, he added.