Dantewada: A Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security personnel, and a police jawan was injured in a pressure IED explosion in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division on Monday, police said.
The incidents occurred in the forests along the border of Dantewada and Bijapur districts, an official said.
A gun battle took place between 8 am and 9 am when joint teams of security forces were out on an anti-Naxalite operation, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai said.
The operation was launched on Sunday based on inputs about the presence of armed Naxalites along the inter-district border, located around 450 km from the state capital Raipur.
Teams comprising personnel from the District Reserve Guard and Bastar Fighters from Dantewada, Bijapur and Sukma, Special Task Force (STF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and its elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) were involved in the operation, the official said.
The exchange of fire broke out in the forest near Purangel under Kirandul police station limits (Dantewada) and Pidia under Gangaloor police station limits (Bijapur) when one of the patrolling teams was cordoning off the area, he said.
After the guns fell silent, the body of a Naxalite, along with a weapon, was recovered from the spot, he said, adding the deceased was yet to be identified.
Following the gunfight, a search was launched in the area under Gangaloor police station limits when a constable accidentally stepped on a pressure improvised explosive device connection, triggering a blast around 2.30 pm, another official said.
Constable Ramu Korsa, belonging to Bastar Fighters, sustained injuries to his legs, he said.
The injured jawan was admitted to the Bijapur district hospital, where his condition was stated to be out of danger, the official said.
A search was still underway in nearby areas, police said.
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