In a major success for security forces on the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) front, as many as three hardcore Maoists (Naxal) have been killed in back-to-back separate encounters that occurred between the security personnel and the extremists in Balaghat and Chhattisgarh Maharashtra interstate border on Thursday, December 14.
According to the reports, as many as two hardcore Maoists, including the key conspirator of the Jambulkheda attack, in which a total of 15 policemen were martyred along with a civilian after the Maoist detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in May 2019 have been neutralised in an encounter that occurred near the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border.
It’s been reported that the security forces launched an operation near the bordering region after getting solid intel about the presence of a Maoist contingent near Bodhintola in Gadchiroli district. According to the information received, a fierce gunfight broke out between the personnel and the Maoists at around 3pm in the afternoon, which lasted for about an hour.
Sensing the upper hand of the forces, the ultras then reportedly withdrew from the spot leaving behind as many as two bodies, including the Deputy commander of the Kasnaur Dalam. The deceased has been identified as Durgesh Watti, who was one of the key conspirators of the Jambulkheda attack in Gadchiroli. The identity of the other Maoists killed in the action is yet to be ascertained.
“A credible intelligence was received that a large contingent of naxals was camping on the Chhattisgarh border near Bodhintola, some 10 kilometres from Godalwahi. Naxals had an intention to ambush police forces and kill tribals, branding them as police informers,” said Neelotpal, Superintendent of Police (SP), Gadchiroli.
The security team has also recovered one AK-47 and a SLR rifle along with the bodies of the Maoists killed in the action. An extensive search operation in the vicinity has been underway, according to the police.
Maoist commander killed in Balaghat
In other news, a dreaded Maoist commander carrying a bounty of Rs 14 lakh on his head was neutralised after a fierce gunfight broke out between the Maoist and the Hawk Force, a specialised counter-insurgency unit of the Madhya Pradesh police, in Maoist-infested Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, informed police.
The Maoist commander killed in the action has been identified as Madkam Hidma, alias Chaitu, a resident of BIjapur, Chhattisgarh. Madkam was associated with the Malajkhand Dalam of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) and was reportedly involved in several attacks carried out by the extremists.
The encounter broke out near Khamkodar forest area under the Garhi police station limits of Balaghat in the intervening night of Wednesday. The area is adjoined to the Kanha National Park located near the Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh inter-state borders, which fall under the Maoists Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh (MMC) Zone.
It is pertinent to mention here that the security forces in recent years have been running continuous operations in the erstwhile strongholds of the Maoists, leading the extremists to confine in a much smaller area as compared to what they controlled earlier.
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