Two BSF constables killed, one injured in encounter with Naxalites in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district; ultras flee after gunfight

Raipur: Two Border Security Force (BSF) jawans were killed and another was injured in a gunfight with Naxalites in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district on Sunday, the police said. [caption id=“attachment_4179143” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Chhattisgarh Police. Getty Images[/caption] The gunfight took place in a forest near the BSF’s Mahla camp under the Partapaur Police Station’s limits, when a team of BSF’s 114th battalion was returning after carrying out an anti-Maoist operation, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Anti-Naxal Operations) Sundarraj P said. When the patrolling team was advancing through forest of Barkot village, located around 250 kilometres from the state capital Raipur, it came under heavy fire from a group of Naxalites, leading to the gun-battle between the two sides, he said, adding that the ultras fled to the core of the forest after a brief exchange of fire. “Two constables identified as Lokender Singh and Mukdhiyar Singh, belonging to Rajasthan and Punjab, respectively, were killed, while another constable, Sandeep Dey, sustained injuries in the gunfight,” he said. Reinforcements were rushed to the spot, and the bodies of the deceased were brought to the headquarters of the BSF’s 114 battalion in Pakhanjore, he said. The injured jawan has been airlifted to Raipur for further treatment, the senior police officer said. On 9 July, two BSF jawans belonging to the 121st battalion were killed when Naxalites had triggered an IED blast while they were on a bike patrol in the Chhotebethiya area of Kanker.