CRPF jawan killed in encounter with Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur; officials suspect some Maoists also died in attack

Bijapur: A CRPF jawan was killed in an encounter with Naxals in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Thursday, police said. Some Maoists are also suspected to have been killed in the exchange of fire and the security forces are combing the area, they said. [caption id=“attachment_4926571” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] The gun-battle took place around 4 am when a joint team of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and its elite unit CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action), was carrying out a search operation in Pamed area, Deputy Inspector General (anti-Naxal operation) Sundarraj P told PTI. Personnel belonging to CRPF’s 151st battalion and CoBRA’s 204th battalion were involved in the operation which was launched on Wednesday night, he said. When the patrolling team was cordoning off a forest near Jerapalli village, a group of Naxals opened fire on the security forces, leading to a gunfight, he said. However, Naxals soon escaped from the spot when the security personnel closed in on them, he said. “Constable Kamta Prasad, belonging to CRPF’s 151st battalion, received bullet injuries in the skirmish. He later succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to Cherla Hospital in neighbouring Telangana,” the DIG said. A search operation was underway in the area, he added. On Tuesday, two Naxals were killed in an encounter with security forces in the neighbouring Dantewada district.