Three Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in the forests along the Sukma-Bijapur border in Chhattisgarh on Thursday. "Bodies of three Naxals and weapons recovered. Search operation is still underway," said Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan.
The operation involved joint forces, including the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), and the Central Reserve Police Force's (CRPF) jungle warfare unit (CoBRA).
This development comes amid increased Naxalite activity in the region. Earlier Thursday, security forces defused two Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted in Murdanda village under the Awapalli police station in Bijapur district. The IEDs, made using empty beer bottles to avoid detection by security forces, were planted by the Naxalites, police said. The joint operation was carried out by the state police and CRPF’s 229 Battalion.
The intensified security measures follow a deadly IED blast on Monday in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district that killed eight District Reserve Guards and a civilian driver. The jawans were returning from a joint operation involving the Dantewada, Narayanpur, and Bijapur police when the blast occurred.