Woman Maoist shot dead in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district after encounter with security forces; search ops underway

Raipur: A woman Maoist was Tuesday gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district, police said. [caption id=“attachment_4579421” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] “The firefight took place in the afternoon near Burdhapara village under Fulbagdi police station limits when security personnel were out on an anti-Maoist operation,” Deputy Inspector General (Anti-Maoist Operation) Sundarraj P told PTI. “A combined squad of the state’s Special Task Force (STF) and the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was cordoning off a forest area near Burdhapara, located around 500 kilometres away from the capital, Raipur, when Maoists opened fire,” he said. “After a brief exchange of fire with the security forces, the ultras fled the spot,” the DIG said. The woman ultra, identified as Hemla Ayathi, was a member of Badesetti local organisation squad (LOS) of Maoists. “Her body was recovered from the spot,” he said. “The search operation was still underway in the region and further details were awaited,” the DIG added. Another Maoist, identified as Chinga, who was a “deputy commander” of “Kerlapal area committee” of the outfit, was killed in an encounter in the same Fulbagdi area of Sukma on Monday.