Chhattisgarh : Six-month old girl killed in Bastar crossfire

Security forces have intensified anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar-- where Maoists are active -- in the last two months

Raipur : A six-month-old girl was killed in crossfire between Maoists and security forces in Bastar region on Monday, police said.

The child’s mother and two District Reserve Guards also sustained injuries. (Representative image.)

The child’s mother and two District Reserve Guards also sustained injuries as security personnel and a group of Maoists fired at each other, Inspector General of Police , Bastar Range, Sunderaj P said.

The injured were taken to the hospital for medical assistance.

“On Monday evening at around 5 pm, a police-Maoist clash occurred in the jungles of Mutvandi under Gangalur police station in Bijapur district,” the IG said

Sunderaj said it seems that the woman was carrying the child when they were hit in the gunfire launched by Maoists “The woman was hit on her hand and that bullet hit the child. We will investigate the case ,” the IG said.

Reports said an official of the Bhairamgarh area committee, Chandranna, was also injured in the clash, police said. Security personnel deployed in the area launched a search operation soon after the incident to look for the Maoists involved in the incident.

Security forces have intensified anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar-- where Maoists are active -- in the last two months with the number of operations increasing from two in September and October each to 12 in November and nine operations in December.