In a Chattisgarh clash with security troops, seven Naxalites were slain

In a Tuesday confrontation with security officers in a jungle along the boundaries of the Kanker and Narayanpur districts in Chhattisgarh, seven Naxalites—including two women—were slain, according to authorities.

In the last 15 days, security forces have launched two significant attacks on Naxalites.

A senior police official told PTI that the most recent gunfight occurred at around six in the morning in the forest between the villages of Tekmeta and Kakur in the Abhujmad area, which is thought to be a Naxalitarian stronghold, while a joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Special Task Force (STF) was out on an anti-Naxal operation.

According to him, seven Naxalites’ bodies—two of them were women—were found there after the gunfight ended.

He stated that more firearms and explosives had been taken from the location, including an AK-47 rifle, and that search efforts were still continuing in the area.

The official said that the identities of the Naxalites that were slain were yet unknown.

Following this tragedy, authorities in the state’s Bastar region—which includes seven districts, including Narayanpur and Kanker—had reported that 88 Naxalites have lost their lives in separate engagements with security forces this year.

In the Kanker area on April 16, 29 Naxalites were shot and killed after a confrontation with security personnel.