At least 22 security personnel were reportedly killed and several others injured in an encounter with Naxals in a forest in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Saturday, reports ANI quoting SP Bijapur, Kamalochan Kashyap. A few maoists have also been killed in the encounter. 

Bodies of 17 jawans have been recovered from the site of encounter with Naxals in Chhattisgarh, PTI reported quoting police. Out of the injured jawans, 23 have been admitted to Bijapur Hospital and seven were taken to a hospital in Raipur. Reports stated that several jawans were missing after the encounter. 

DM Awasthi, Chhattisgarh Director General of Police, said that the encounter broke out in the “Tarrem area (along Sukma and Bijapur border) when a joint team of security forces was out on an anti-Naxal operation.”

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The security personnel involved in the operation belonged to the CRPF’s elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action unit (CoBRA), the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Special Task Force (STF), Awasthi told PTI. 

“As per the preliminary information, five jawans were killed and a few others were injured in the gunfight,” Awasthi said, adding that further details are awaited.

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Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah offered condolences to the families of the jawans killed in the encounter.

“I bow to sacrifices of our brave security personnel martyred while fighting Maoists in Chhattisgarh. Nation will never forget their valour. My condolences are with their families. We will continue our fight against these enemies of peace & progress,” he said. 

On March 23, five DRG personnel were killed when Naxals blew up a bus carrying the security personnel with an IED in Narayanpur district.