30 Maoists killed in twin Chhattisgarh encounters

At least 30 Maoists and a policeman were killed in twin encounters in the Bijapur and Kanker districts of Chhattisgarh on Thursday, officers aware of the matter said - action that takes the number of rebels killed in the state this year across the 100-mark amid an uptick in anti-Left Wing Extremism (LWE) operations.

- Ritesh Mishra

The Bijapur gunfight broke out at around 7am after a joint team of nearly 1,500 personnel from the Bijapur and Sukma District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), COBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) launched a search operation in a jungle along the district's border with the neighbouring Dantewada.

"The bodies of 26 Naxalites were recovered from the spot. A large number of AK-47 rifles, as well as automatic and semi-automatic weapons, have also been seized. One jawan of the Bijapur DRG also lost his life during the encounter," Bastar IGP Sundarraj P said. The deceased jawan was later identified as Raju Oyami.

Around 200km away, an encounter broke out in a forest along the border of Kanker and Narayanpur districts around 8am when a joint team of the DRG and Border Security Force (BSF), consisting of 700 personnel, was out on an anti-Maoist operation, Kanker Superintendent of Police (SP) Indira Kalyan Elesela said.

"The bodies of four Naxalites were recovered from the spot.

We have recovered an automatic rifle which means that there is a senior cadre among the deceased Maoists. A search operation is underway" he said.