CoBRA asst commandant, 8 Naxals killed in encounter

In a fierce gun battle with the left-wing extremists in Dantewada district, an assistant
commandant of elite anti-Naxal force Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) and eight Naxalites were killed today, police said.

Acting on specific inputs, personnel of the CoBRA and state police launched a joint operation to bust an illegal arms manufacturing factory and Naxal camp by the outlaws in the forests near Singamadagu in the district, RK Vij, DGP told PTI.

As the team of CRPF jawans and police took positions to attack the outlaws, the Naxals fired at them killing the assistant commandant of CoBRA and injuring four of his colleagues.

In the gun battle that followed, eight Naxalites were killed, Vij said adding the number of the extremist gunned down during the operation may go up. Police also recovered arms and ammunition from the spot including SLR gun and hand grenades.

According to the senior police officials here, the encounter was a part of an extensive offensive launched against the Naxalites in the state.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, Naxals have killed two villagers and torched a truck, police said. While the villagers belonged to Dantweada district, the truck was torched in Bastar, police added.