Chhattisgarh Maoist encounter: It was not immediately known when the encounter took place. (Representational Image)
At least eight Maoists were killed by security personnel in an encounter that took place in Bijapur district along the Chhattisgarh -Telangana border, officials have said. One Self Loading Rifle, one .303 rifle, six rocket launchers and three grenades were among the weapons recovered. It was not immediately known when the encounter took place. More details are awaited.
The death toll has risen to eight in the Chhattisgarh anti-naxal operation. DM Awasthi, special DG, said the death toll is likely to increase.
In early March, a team of Greyhounds personnel had swooped on a Naxal camp in Bijapur district as part of a joint operation with the Chhattisgarh Police. Ten Maoists, including seven women, were killed in the operation.
Some weapons and Maoist literature were also seized from the site, the officer said, adding the search operation is underway in the area.
A joint squad of Greyhounds - an elite anti-Naxal unit of the Telangana Police - and security personnel from Chhattisgarh had launched a combing operation in the forests along the inter-state border following a tip-off about presence of Maoists in the area, an officer said. When the patrolling team was in Ipenta, located around 500km from the state capital Raipur, an exchange of fire broke out between the two sides, he added.
Officials said the joint operation by the greyhounds and Chhattisgarh police took place in Ilmidi police station, in south Bijapur, along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border.
It was not immediately known when the encounter took place. A huge cache of arms has been recovered from the Maoists. More details are awaited.