Villager killed in crossfire between security forces, Naxals

Bijapur: A villager was killed and another injured when they were caught in a crossfire between security forces and Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district in the wee hours of Friday, police said.

The incident took place around 4 am when a joint team of the CRPF and the District Force was out on an anti-Maoist operation in the Modakpal police station area, a senior police official said.

Acting on inputs about the movement of rebels in the area, security forces had launched the operation.

While the patrolling team was cordoning off a forest near Otkalpada village, an encounter broke out between the two sides, he said.

However, the exchange of fire soon stopped after ultras escaped from the spot, he added.

During a search of the area, security forces spotted two men who had sustained injuries after getting caught in the crossfire, the official said.

They rushed the injured to Bijapur district hospital where one of them succumbed during treatment, he said.

“The deceased was identified as Dubbak Anna, a native of Pusgudi village,” he said.

The second man, Yalam Dharmaiyya – a resident of the same village – was undergoing treatment at the hospital, the official said.