10 Naxalites killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district

At least 10 Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district on Thursday (September 11), said SP Gariaband Nikhil Rakhecha. Police said that the operation was launched based on the inputs about the movement of top Naxalites in the area, located over 180 km away from the capital Raipur.

According to a PTI report, Modem Balakrishna, a senior leader and Central Committee Member (CCM) of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), was likely to be killed in the gun battle. Balakrishna, also known by his aliases Balanna, Ramachander and Bhaskar, was the secretary of the Odisha State Committee (OSC) and had joined the movement in the early 1980s.

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STF, CoBRA units involved

Earlier, Raipur Range Inspector General of Police Amresh Mishra said that a gunfight broke out between the Naxalites and security personnel who were patrolling the area for an anti-Naxalite operation, reported PTI.

"Personnel belonging to Special Task Force (STF), CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action - an elite unit of CRPF) and other state police units are involved in the operation. Intermittent exchange of fire is still underway. As per the inputs received from the ground, at least eight Naxalites have been gunned down," the IGP said.

"Ten Naxalites, including senior cadres, have been gunned down so far," he said, adding that further details were awaited as the operation was still underway.

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241 Naxalites killed this year

With the latest action, 241 Naxalites have been killed in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh so far this year. Of them, 212 were eliminated in the Bastar division, comprising seven districts, while 27 others were gunned down in the Gariaband district which falls in the Raipur division. Two other Naxalites were killed in Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district in Durg division.

These deceased Naxals included Chalpathi alias Jairam, a member of the central committee and Odisha state committee of Maoists. In January this year, 16 Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in the same Mainpur area of Gariaband. Last year, 219 Naxalites were neutralised by security forces in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh.

(With agency inputs)