Naxalite killed in encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur

A Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Thursday, a police official stated.The exchange of fire broke out around 7.30 am in a forest area in the southern part of the district when a joint team of security forces was carrying out an anti-Naxalite operation, a senior official said.The intermittent firing was still underway at the time of reporting. The body of a Naxalite, along with an AK-47 rifle, has been recovered from the encounter site, the official said, adding that further details would be shared once the operation concludes.
With this incident, at least 23 Maoists have been killed in separate encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh so far this year. Earlier, 14 Maoists were gunned down in two encounters on January 3 in the Bastar region, which comprises seven districts, including Bijapur.Last year, a total of 285 Maoists were killed in encounters with security forces in the state. The Centre has set a deadline of March 31 this year to eliminate Left-Wing Extremism from the country.