Five Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Sunday, police reported.
The gunfight took place in the morning in a forest area of the Indravati National Park while a joint team of security personnel was conducting an anti-Naxalite operation, said Sundarraj P, Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range.
The operation involved personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), and District Force.
After the exchange of fire ended, the bodies of five Naxalites, dressed in uniform, were found along with firearms, including automatic weapons, and explosives. The search operation is still ongoing in the area.
So far this year, 14 Naxalites have been killed in separate encounters across the state.
Also Read: Chhattisgarh: Security forces kill 3 Naxalites in clash
In an anti-Naxal operation in the Abujhmad area on the border of Narayanpur, Dantewada, and Bijapur districts that ended on January 6, five Naxalites, including two women, were killed.
On January 9, three Naxalites were killed in an encounter in Sukma district, and on January 3, another Naxalite was killed in an encounter in Gariaband district.
Last year, 219 Naxalites were killed by security forces in separate encounters in the state.
On January 6 this year, Naxalites used an IED to blow up a vehicle in Bijapur district, killing eight police personnel and their civilian driver.
Also Read: 9 dead in C'garh Maoist attack, Shah vows to eliminate naxals by 2026
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