Four Naxalites were fatally shot during an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Tuesday. The exchange of gunfire occurred in a forest close to Lendra village within the jurisdiction of Gangaloor police station around 6 am.
The incident unfolded as a combined team of security personnel conducted an anti-Naxal operation, stated Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P to PTI. Personnel belonging to the District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force, Central Reserve Police Force and its elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) were involved in the operation, he said.
Following the cessation of gunfire, authorities recovered the bodies of four Naxalites along with a light machine gun and additional weapons from the site, as confirmed by the official. The search operation in the area was ongoing at the time of reporting, he further added. Bijapur, situated over 400 kilometers from the state capital Raipur, remains the location of the encounter.
Search operation was still underway in the area, he added. Bijapur is located more than 400 km away from state capital Raipur. With this incident, 37 naxalites have been killed in separate encounters with security forces in Bastar region, comprising seven districts including Bijapur, so far this year, according to police. Bijapur district comes under the Bastar Lok Sabha constituency which will go to polls in the first phase of general elections on April 19.