Chhattisgarh, April 17 (HBTV): In a massive success from a high-stakes encounter with Naxals, security forces killed at least 29 Maoists in the Kankar region of Chhattisgarh. Police officials said three security personnel were also injured during the exchange of fire.   

This figure can go up as a search operation is still on, Chhattisgarh Police said.

Of the 29 Maoists, more than a dozen were women who were wielding deadly weapons and trying to protect the men when the state forces attacked them, updates said.

Three security personnel, including two Border Security Force troopers and one from the state police’s District Reserve Guard sustained injuries.

According to officials, if the figure crosses 30 casualties from the Naxals’ side, this would be the largest operation by forces in the past 10 years. Before this, Greyhound commandos had eliminated 30 Naxalites in an operation in 2016. In another operation in 2021, top Naxal leader Milind Teltumbde along with 25 others was eliminated.

However, this would be the first operation in which a large number of Naxals were eliminated with no casualties from the security forces’ side.

“On April 16, a search operation by a joint team comprising of Kanker DRG and BSF was launched in the Chhottebetiya police station limit area in Kanker district. At around 2 pm, there was an exchange of fire between Maoists and security forces near Binagunda-Koragutta jungles of the Chhottebetiya Police station area,” Chhatisgarh police said.

‘After the encounter, the area was searched and 29 Naxals dead bodies along with a huge cache of AK 47 rifles, INSAS, SLR/Carbine, .303 rifles and huge quantities of arms ammunitions recovered from the spot,’ it said.

(Inputs from various agencies.)