Chhattisgarh: 2 cops, 2 Maoists killed in gunbattle

Two policemen and as many Maoists were today killed in a gunbattle between security personnel and ultras in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district. A police jawan was also injured in the incident.

The face-off between the security personnel and Naxals took place in a dense forest under Mirtur Police Station limits this morning, Bijapur Additional Superintendent of Police Indira Kalyan Elesela said. A joint contingent of STF and district police force was on an anti-Naxal operation in Gangaloor and Mirtur areas, around 450 kms away from the state capital.

When the team reached Mirtur forests, a group of armed rebels opened indiscriminate firing on them following which the police personnel retaliated, he said. After the gun fight that lasted for around two hours, the Naxals escaped into the core forests. "A Special Task Force (STF) jawan and another from district police force died in the incident while one was injured. Besides, two Naxals were also killed in the incident," he said.

Reinforcement was rushed to the spot and efforts were on to retrieve the bodies of jawans and Naxals from the dense forests, he said. 

Combing operations have been launched to nab the attackers in the forests, the ASP said. The deceased have been identified as STF constable Sitaram Kunjam and district police reserve group's assistant constable Moti Ram (28), he said.

Efforts were on to retrieve the injured constable Payku Ram Poyam from the forest, he added.