29 Maoists killed in Bastar encounter in Chhattisgarh state ahead of Lok Sabha election scheduled on April 19.

Delhi:

At least 29 Maoists were killed and three security personnel were injured in a gunbattle yesterday in a forest in Kanker district of Bastar division in Chhattisgarh state This incident came days before Lok Sabha elections in the area — Bastar will vote on April 19 and Kanker on April 26.

According to the Bastar Inspector General Sundarraj P, this was the highest number of Maoist casualties in a single operation in the Bastar region.

“On the tip off, a joint team of DRG (District Reserve Guards) and BSF (Border Security Force) was sent in the area to gun down Maoists. The encounter took place under the jurisdiction of the Chhotebethiya police station” he added.

He said that “Based on specific intelligence, a joint operation by teams of BSF and DRG was launched on April 16. While the operation was under progress, the BSF operations party came under fire from CPI (Maoist) cadres, and BSF troops effectively retaliated against them.”

“The area was searched by the security forces and bodies of 29 Naxals along with a huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered from the spot. Three jawans who were injured in the encounter are out of danger and were airlifted” he said.

“The injured personnel include two from the BSF and one from the DRG” he added.

According to sources, Shankar and Lalita, divisional committee members of the CPI (Maoist)’s North Bastar Division, are believed to be among those killed.

“The weapons recovered include three SLR rifles, an AK rifle, two pistols, two INSAS rifles and two 303 rifles” said an official.