Five Naxalites, cop killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur

Bijapur (Chhattisgarh): Five Naxalites and a jawan of the police's District Reserve Guard (DRG) were killed in an encounter in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Wednesday, officials said.

Another jawan suffered injuries in the gunfight, they said, adding that the operation was still underway.

The gun battle took place in a forest of the Gangaloor area adjoining Dantewada district when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxal operation, a police official said.

Personnel belonging to the DRG and Special Task Force, both units of the state police, and CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action- an elite unit of CRPF) were involved in the operation, he said.

So far, bodies of five Naxalites have been recovered from the spot, the official said.

"One DRG personnel was martyred during the operation, while another jawan sustained injuries," he said.

The injured jawan has been evacuated for treatment, the official said.

With the latest action, 268 Naxalites have been killed in encounters in Chhattisgarh so far this year.

Of them, 239 were eliminated in the Bastar division, comprising seven districts, including Bijapur and Dantewada, while 27 others were gunned down in Gariaband district, which falls in the Raipur division. Two Naxalites were killed in Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district in Durg division.