Key Naxal leader, accomplice killed in encounter near Raipur

A key Naxal leader, believed to be behind major attacks on security forces, including the recent one in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh, was gunned down on Friday along with a woman accomplice in an encounter near Raipur, police said.

A key Naxal leader, believed to be behind major attacks on security forces, including the recent one in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh, was gunned down on Friday along with a woman accomplice in an encounter near Raipur, police said.

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The two ultras were killed this morning in a gun-battle with police at Shivpur village of Durg district, nearly 45 kms from here, R K Vij, Inspector General of Police (Durg Range) said.

However, another Maoist managed to escape, he said.

Acting on a tip off that Nagesh, a Naxal leader from North Bastar, would come to the village to procure ammunition in large quantity, police reached the spot, Vij said.

When they tried to stop Nagesh, accompanied by two of his accomplices including a woman Naxal, he opened fire at the security men. While Nagesh and the woman Maoist were killed in retaliatory firing, another one succeeded in fleeing the spot.

Police have recovered bodies of the Naxals besides two pistols and Rs 45,000 in cash, Vij said.

It is for the first time that Naxals have been killed in an encounter in Durg, which is at close proximity with the state capital. Durg hitherto had witnessed sporadic incidents of Naxal violence for last two years, police said.