Chhattisgarh: Two Naxals killed in Encounter

Two Naxals, carrying cash rewards on their heads were gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district.

According to police, the gunbattle broke out at around 11.30 pm on Friday in a forest near Kutrem village in the Kirandul police station area when a joint team of District Reserve Guard (DRG) and local police was out on an anti-Naxal operation.

DantewadaSuperintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava said to news agency PTI that after abrief exchange of fire when the security forces personnel tried to zero in onthe ultras, they escaped into the dense forest taking advantage of darkness.

The SP said that the bodies of two ultras were found during a search operation at the encounter spot. The ultras were identified as Lachu Mandavi and Podiya, both members of the Malangir area committee of the Maoists, adding that they were carrying cash rewards of Rs. 5lakh each on their heads.

Police also informed that two weapons- a foreign-made 9mm pistol and a 12 bore rifle were also recovered.

Securityforces have stepped up combing operation in the interior forests of Dantewadain view of the by-election to be held in the Dantewada Assembly constituency onSeptember 23.