Hyderabad: At least seven Maoists belonging to the People’s Guerrilla Liberation Army (PGLA) were killed in an encounter with the security forces in the Abujhmad forests bordering Dantewada and Narayanpur districts of Chhattisgarh.
The joint operation by the police of four districts began in the wee hours of Thursday (December 12) at around 3 am and continued for several hours.
The bodies of seven guerrillas dressed in their uniform have been recovered, even as the firing continued throughout the day.
As per reports, the district reserve guards (DRG), central reserve police force (CRPF) and special task force (STF) police personnel launched the operation after obtaining specific information about the presence of 40-50 Maoists from the Indravathi Area Committee in the forests, with some being top leaders.
The Maoists and police have been exchanging fire intermittently.
Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai praised the efforts of the security forces and told media that it was the result of good governance.
At least 100 Maoists were killed during ‘Operation Maad’ launched by the security forces this year, including 31 in October. A total of 207 Maoists, 18 police personnel and 67 civilians have been killed in Chhattisgarh this year.