Gariaband: A joint team of security forces gunned down two women Maoists following a fierce exchange of fire in the forest of Bhalu-Diggi of Kulhari Ghat on Monday, January 20, officials said.
The gunfight broke under the Mainpur police station limits on Chhattisgarh-Odisha interstate borders adjoining Nuapada district after which bodies of two female Maoists killed in the action was recovered.
The operation was launched by a joint team of security forces comprising personnel from separate units of Chhattisgarh and Odisha police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
“After the intermittent firing was stopped, bodies of two female Maoists were recovered. A jawan of CRPF elite unit was also wounded in the gunfight after which he was airlifted to Raipur, his condition is stable,” said an official of the police.
The operation is still reported to be underway and more details about the gunfight are awaited. With the latest inclusion the number of Maoists killed in separate encounters across the state in January has reached to 28, denoting the aggressive stance of the forces in dealing with the extremists.
On January 16, a major operation involving around two thousand personnel from separate units of CRPF, its elite jungle warfare unit CoBRA and specialised counter-insurgency units of Chhattisgarh police was launched in the south Bastar area.
A gunfight between the joint team of security forces and the Maoists, lasting for hours led to a significant damage to the Maoist side causing 18 fatalities.
Bodies of 12 Maoists including 5 women cadres were later recovered from the spot. A large cache of arms and ammunition were also seized. The operation was launched on receiving intel about presence of large number of Maoists belonging to PLGA battalion no 1.
Days after the operation, the Maoist in a press issue released on Saturday claimed to suffer loss of 18 men including 4 PPCM rank cadres and Telangana State Committee Secretary, Bade Chhokha alias Damodar.
