Two hardcore Naxalites, carrying a collective bounty of Rs 13 lakh, have been killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region. The gunfight took place on Tuesday evening in a forest of Kilam-Bargum villages along the border of Kondagaon and Narayanpur districts when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxalite operation, Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj P told the news agency PTI.
Personnel belonging to the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Bastar Fighters, both units of the state police from Kondagaon, were involved in the operation. So far, bodies of two Naxalites, along with one AK-47 rifle and other weapons and explosives, have been recovered from the spot, he said, adding the search operation was underway in the area.
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The killed Naxalites have been identified as Haldar, a dreaded Maoist commander and member of the east Bastar division of Maoists, and Rame, an area committee member, the official said. Haldar and Rame carried rewards of Rs 8 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, respectively, on their heads, he said.
With the latest action, 140 Naxalites have been gunned down in separate encounters in the state so far this year. Of them, 123 were eliminated in the Bastar division, comprising seven districts, including Narayanpur and Kondagaon.