Chhattisgarh: One naxal killed in gun battle

A naxal was killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in the outskirts of a town in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Sukma district on Tuesday, police said. "The skirmish took place in the wee hours close to Pota Cabin school under Konta police station limits leaving one Maoist dead," Sukma Superintendent of Police Indira Kalyan Elesela said. 

Villagers had informed police last night that five to six armed men were spotted near the school in Konta town, located around 500 kms away from here, he said. Acting on inputs, a joint team of district force and CRPF's 217 battalion launched a search operation in the region. 

While they were cordoning off a patch close to the school at around 4.00 am, a gun battle broke out between the two sides, the SP said, adding that the rebels, however, fled from the spot taking the advantage of darkness and forest. During search, the body of a male Maoist beside a country- made pistol and a muzzle loading gun was recovered from the spot, Elesela said. 

A search is still underway. The identity of the killed ultra is yet to be ascertained, he added. Prima facie it appears that the ultras might have planned to target surrendered cadres or security forces in the town, he said, adding, the exact details will be known after investigation.