Maoist leader, 2 supporters killed in face-off with police in Chhattisgarh

The encounter took place at a forest in Bortalav area of Rajnandgaon bordering with Maharashtra around 11am when a team of the district force was out on a search operation, police said.

A Maoist ‘deputy commander’ and two supporters of the outlawed outfit were killed in an encounter with the police in Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon district on Tuesday, an official said.

This photo taken on May 9, 2018, shows Indian military personnel patrolling in the Saranda forest area in operations against Maoists in West Singhbhum district in Jharkhand. (AFP/FILE PHOTO FOR REPRESENTATIVE PURPOSES)

The encounter took place at a forest in Bortalav area of Rajnandgaon bordering with Maharashtra around 11am when a team of the district force was out on a search operation, Superintendent of Police Prashant Agrawal told PTI.

The Maoists started firing on the police at a hill in the forest following which the patrolling team retaliated, he said.

Later during a search, the police found three bodies, Agrawal said.

One of the deceased was identified as Azad, the deputy commander of the Darrekasa area committee of Maoists, he said.

The other two deceased, who had apparently gone to the forest to supply some items to Maoists, were yet to be identified, the SP said.

Two firearms were also recovered from the spot, the official said.

Further details were awaited as the search operation was on.