Dantewada, May 24: Eight Naxalites were killed in an ongoing encounter with security personnel, which started yesterday in the border area of Narayanpur and Bijapur districts in Chhattisgarh.

Responding to the intelligence alert, joint teams comprising District Reserve Guards (DRG) from Narayanpur, Dantewada, and Bastar, along with Special Task Force (STF) personnel, launched a coordinated search operation in the area.

However, during the return journey of the police team on Friday they were ambushed by Naxal insurgents, initiating a gun battle.
Despite the surprise attack, STF personnel retaliated with counter-firing.

Following the exchange of gunfire, the security forces conducted a thorough search operation in the area.

As a result, the body of a Naxal cadre clad in combat attire and weapons were recovered.

The search operation in the naxal-prone area is underway. Further details are awaited.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai congratulated the security forces saying that his government was committed to fighting against Naxalism.

"There is information coming in of seven Naxalites being killed in an encounter between security forces and Naxalites in the border area of Narayanpur-Bijapur district. Certainly, the security forces have achieved great success. I salute their courage. Our government is fighting strongly against Naxalism. Our goal is to eradicate Naxalism from the state," the Chhattisgarh CM said.

Earlier on May 15, in an interview with ANI, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the government has taken decisive steps to tackle Naxalism and that the country will be free of the problem in the next two to three years.

Amit Shah said that efforts made by the BJP-led government have led to welfare schemes reaching those tribal areas that had remained bereft of them. He said Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are completely free of Naxalism and the problem persists in three to four districts of Chhattisgarh.

"I think that in the next 2-3 years, the country will be completely free of Naxal issue. After the BJP government came to power in Chhattisgarh, within just 4.5 months, 112 naxals have been neutralised, around 375 have surrendered and 153 have been arrested," the Home Minister had said.

(ANI)

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