Raipur, Mar 20 (UNI) Bodies of 30 Naxalites have been recovered so far in an encounter between security forces and Naxalites in Bijapur and Dantewada districts of Chhattisgarh on Thursday morning, police said.
Bastar Police Inspector General P Sundarraj said that a joint team had gone out on an anti-Maoist operation in the Gangalur area at the border of Bijapur and Dantewada districts.
During the encounter, bodies of 26 Naxalites were recovered from Bijapur and four from Kanker. A trooper of Chattisgarh District Reserve Guard (DRG) Raju Oyami was martyred in the encounter.
A large cache of arms and ammunition belonging to the Naxalites were found beside the bodies of the 26 ultras..
Encounters and searches are going on in the area. The number of Naxalites killed may increase, the IG said..
According to a police officer, the force has entered the core area of the Naxalites and surrounded their top leaders. Firing is going on from both sides.
The operation was carried out following information that a large number of Naxalites are present in the Gangalore area. Based on this, the state and central police forces launched a joint operation on the Dantewada- Bijapur border.
