Nine Naxalites were eliminated in an encounter with security personnel in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, as confirmed by police sources.
The operation commenced in the early hours around 6 am near Lendra village under the jurisdiction of Gangaloor police station.
A joint team comprising personnel from District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force, Central Reserve Police Force, and the elite unit Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) was engaged in an anti-Naxal operation when the firefight erupted, stated Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P.
Following the cessation of gunfire, four Naxalite bodies were retrieved from the site alongside a cache of weaponry, including a light machine gun and barrel grenade launchers.
Subsequently, an additional five bodies were found in the vicinity, with search operations still ongoing in the area, confirmed the IG.
The encounter in Bijapur district, falling under the Bastar Lok Sabha constituency, holds particular significance with the impending general elections, scheduled to commence on April 19.
The Bastar region, comprising seven districts including Bijapur, has witnessed heightened Naxalite activity, particularly during the Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign (TCOC) conducted by insurgents between March and June annually.
The security forces have been involved in rigorous operations to counteract these activities, resulting in several encounters in recent months.
This incident marks the latest in a series of successful operations against Naxalite elements, with 42 insurgents having been eliminated in separate encounters in the Bastar region this year alone, according to police records.
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