Maoist leader among 10 killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh

In Chhattisgarh, ten Maoists have been killed in an encounter with security forces on Thursday. Among those killed is a commander of the Maoist organisation. Security forces had received information about the presence of a large number of Maoists in the Mainpur area of Gariaband district. Following this, a joint team of Gariband E-30, Special Task Force and CoBRA battalion was dispatched to the area.  
Since morning, intermittent exchange of fire has been taking place between security forces and Maoists in the forests of Bhaludiggi. So far, ten Maoists have been reported killed in this encounter. The slain include Manoj alias Bhaskar, a Maoist commander carrying a reward of around one crore rupees on his head.  Modem Balakrishna, a Central Committee Member (CCM) of the proscribed Communist Party of India (Maoist), is among the deceased, an official said. Balakrishna, also known by his aliases Manoj, Balanna, Ramachander and Bhaskar, was secretary of the Maoists' Odisha State Committee (OSC) and had joined the movement in early 1980s.The slain include Manoj alias Bhaskar, a Maoist commander carrying a reward of around one crore rupees on his head. 
Thursday’s gunfight in Gariaband takes the total number of Maoists killed in Chhattisgarh this year to 241. Of them, 210 were eliminated in the Bastar division, comprising seven districts, while 27 others were killed in Gariaband district, which falls under the Raipur division.Last year, 219 Maoists were killed by security forces in Chhattisgarh in operations.