STF Jawan Killed, 2 Policemen Injured in Chhattisgarh Maoist Encounters

Raipur: One Special Task Force (STF) jawan died while two police personnel were injured in two different conflicts with Naxals in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Sunday, police said.

The Jawan succumbed to the injuries early on Monday morning.

On Sunday night, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Dantewada region) Sundarraj P told PTI that the incidents took place in Basaguda area of the district, he added that the two police personnel were injured in an incident which took place around 10:30AM and the jawan was injured in an evening clash.

When security force were advancing through the forests of Raigundam village on the border of Bijapur and Sukma districts around 10:30 am, armed Naxals opened indiscriminate firing on them, leading to a gun-battle between both the sides, the DIG said.

However, the rebels soon fled the spot on finding the security personnel zeroing on them, he added. "A DRG head constable Raju Kodmul and an assistant constable of district police Suresh Madkam were injured in the incident," he said.

"As per the injured jawans, after spotting that a couple of Naxals were hit by bullets in the exchange of fire, they were trying to retrieve their bodies. In the process, they came under fire by back-up support group of Naxals leaving two of the jawans injured," the DIG said.

In the meantime, the ultras managed to drag the body of their colleagues inside the forest taking advantage of the thick vegetation, the official said.

"While Kodmul received bullet injury in his abdomen, Madkam suffered an injury on his leg," he added.

In a separate incident, the same team of security forces came face to face with a group of ultras while cordoning off the forests later in the evening following which an encounter broke out between the two sides that left one STF jawan injured, he said. The jawan later died in the hospital on Monday morning.

After a brief exchange of fire the Naxals escaped taking the advantage of darkness, he said. The effort was on to evacuate the injured jawan out from the forest. The counterinsurgency operation was still underway in the region, the DIG added.