Woman Naxalite killed in encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh

Raipur, Jul 18 (PTI) A woman Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district on Thursday, police said.

The gunfight took place in a forest located between Purangel and Iralgudem villages under Kirandul police station area when joint teams of security personnel were out on an anti-Naxalite operation, a police official said.

Separate teams of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters, Special Task Force (STF) - all units of the state police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and its elite unit CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) launched the operation on July 16 in a forest located on the tri-junction of Bijapur, Dantewada and Sukma district based on inputs about the presence of Maoists' Darbha division secretary Jagdish, west Bastar division member Dinesh and company no. 2 commander Vella, he said.

When one of the patrolling teams of Bastar Fighters and DRG was cordoning off the forest near Purangel and Iralgudem villages, the exchange of fire broke out between the two sides, he said.

"After the gunfight, the body of a woman Naxalite along with a weapon was recovered from the spot," the official said, adding that further details are awaited.

With this incident, 140 Naxalites were gunned down by security forces in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh so far this year, police said.

Two personnel of the Special Task Force (STF) were killed and four others injured after Naxalites detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) in neighbouring Bijapur district on Wednesday night. PTI COR TKP NP