The clash occurred about 11 a.m. on Thursday in the border areas of Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur, Dantewada, and Bijapur districts, which are all afflicted by Naxalism. Eight Naxalites were killed in the fight, and many more are thought to have been injured.
Narayanpur: An encounter between security forces and Naxalites that had been going on sporadically for the previous 21 hours in the border regions of Naxal-affected Narayanpur, Dantewada, and Bijapur districts of Chhattisgarh has concluded with the death of eight Naxalites, an official said on Friday. The clash on Thursday killed seven Naxalites, and many more are thought to have been injured.
Narayanpur Superintendent of Police Prabhat Kumar and Dantewada SP Gaurav Rai have verified the Naxalite deaths in the current clash.
According to an official, as the security forces were returning from the encounter site after the search operation, Naxalites set up an ambush and opened fire on them, prompting the security forces to counterattack, resulting in the death of one additional Naxalite. This brings the total number of Naxalites killed to eight. The contact began at 11 a.m. on Thursday and is still ongoing, with an exchange of fire taking place at the site of the encounter. During the encounter on Thursday, soldiers were successful in Narayanpur and Dantewada, recovering the bodies of seven uniformed Naxalites and a large number of weapons.
On May 21, security forces got information regarding the presence of Naxalites in Platoon No. 16 and the Indravati Area Committee at the Narayanpur-Bijapur district boundary. Joint STF troops, together with DRG and Bastar fighters from Narayanpur, Dantewada, and Bastar districts, embarked on a search operation. On Thursday, May 23, when security personnel approached the suspected area, Naxalites began shooting on them, resulting in a clash.
Security forces have established a new camp in the Abujhmad region of Naxal-affected Narayanpur district, putting the Naxalites on the back foot. In recent months, more than 90 Naxalites have been slain in several engagements in Chhattisgarh.
