Raipur--Two personnel of Chhattisgarh police and as many Maoists were killed in an encounter in Bijapur district on Sunday. A team of STF and district force was on an operation near Mirtur in Gangalur area when the encounter took place early morning.
The deceased are STF constable Sitaram Kunjam and assistant constable of the district force Moti Ram (28). Another personnel Payku Ram Poyam is injured. He is still to be evacuated.
“This is highly affected area. Our team has gone for an operation. We have recovered two bodies of Maoists,” ADG(Naxal Ops) RK Vij said.
A joint contingent of STF and district police force was on an anti-Naxal operation in Gangaloor and Mirtur areas, around 450 kms away from the state capital. When the team reached Mirtur forests, a group of armed rebels opened indiscriminate firing on them following which the police personnel retaliated, he said.
After the gun fight that lasted for around two hours, the Naxals escaped into the core forests. “A Special Task Force (STF) jawan and another from district police force died in the incident while one was injured. Besides, two Naxals were also killed in the incident,” he said.
Reinforcement was rushed to the spot and efforts were on to retrieve the bodies of jawans and Naxals from the dense forests, he said. Combing operations have been launched to nab the attackers in the forests, the ASP said. The deceased have been identified as STF constable Sitaram Kunjam and district police reserve group’s assistant constable Moti Ram (28), he said.
Efforts were on to retrieve the injured constable Payku Ram Poyam from the forest, he added.
The STF, which is specially trained for anti-Naxal operations, has faced its maximum casualties this year. Eleven STF personnel have already been killed so far, maximum in any year. Last month, the STF had lost its seven men in Pidmel area of Sukma.
Indian Express
