Two Naxalites killed in encounter with police in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur

The exchange of fire broke out at 7 am in the forest of the southern part of the district when a team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was out on an anti-Naxalite operation, police said.

Bijapur: At least two Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Thursday, a police official said.

The exchange of fire broke out at 7 am in the forest of the southern part of the district when a team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was out on an anti-Naxalite operation, he said. So far, the bodies of two Maoists along with one AK-47 rifle, one 9-mm pistol and other arms and explosives have been recovered from the encounter site, he said.

The operation is still underway in the area, he added. With this action, at least 22 Maoists have been killed in separate encounters in the state so far this year.

On January 3, fourteen Maoists were gunned down in two encounters in the Bastar region, which comprises seven districts, including Bijapur. Last year, a total of 285 Maoists were killed in encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh. The Centre has set a deadline of March 31 this year to eradicate Left-Wing Extremism.