Naxal killed in encounter in C'garh; 25 IEDs seized

Raipur: A Naxalitewas killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Wednesday, a senior police official said. A cache of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), frequently used by Naxals to target security personnel, was also recovered from the encounter spot, he said.

The skirmish took place around 9 am near Tarrem village, located nearly 450 km from the state capital Raipur, Bijapur Superintendent of Police Mohit Garg told PTI. Acting on a tip-off that a group of 25 to 30 Naxalites was trying to damage the Basaguda-Tarrem road by triggering a landmine blast, a joint team of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and local police rushed to the spot, he said.

The security personnel were cordoning off a forest patch near Tarrem when ultras fired at them, leading to the gun-battle between the two sides, he said. After guns fell silent, the body of a Maoist and a muzzle loading gun were recovered from the spot, Garg said. Around 25 IEDs, Naxal literature and other items were also seized from the site, he said. The identity of thekilledrebelwas yet to be ascertained, he added.