3 Naxals killed in Chhattisgarh gun battle; cop injured

Raipur, July 6

Three Naxals were killed in an encounter with security forces in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh on Friday, a senior official said.

A jawan of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was also injured in the exchange of fire in the insurgency-hit district, located around 450 km from the state capital Raipur, he said.

The gun battle took place in a forest under Katekalyan police station limits when a joint team of the DRG and the District Force was out on an anti-Maoist operation, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Anti-Naxal Operations) Sundarraj P told PTI over phone.

When the patrolling team was cordoning off the forest near Pedadabba village, Naxals triggered an IED blast and fired indiscriminately, leading to the gun battle between the two sides, he said.

“A DRG jawan suffered injuries in the incident,” the police officer said.

After the guns fell silent, the bodies of three Naxals were recovered from the spot, the DIG said.

Three weapons were also found at the site, he said.

Further details were awaited as a search operation was under way in the area, Sundarraj said. PTI