Three Maoists gunned down in anti-naxal operation in Chhattisgarh

Raipur: In a major anti-naxal operation, three Maoists, including a woman, were on Friday gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's insurgency- hit Dantewada district, police said.
The encounter took place early on Friday in the forests of Kacheghat area under Faraspal police station limits when a team of state's District Reserve Group (DRG) was out on an anti-naxal operation in the region, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Kamlochan Kashyap said.
The operation was launched by a small team of DRG-a locally raised force, to flush out rebels hiding in Faraspal interior forests, located on Dantewada-Bijapur districts' border around 450kms away from Raipur, during monsoon, he said.
A group of armed naxals opened indiscriminate fire on security forces close to Kacheghat village following which an encounter broke out during which three ultras, who were armed with country-made weapons and grenades, were killed, the Seperintendent of Police (SP) said.
The body of a woman, clad in "uniform", was among the three bodies that were recovered from the spot, he added.
Those killed were identified as Faggoo alias Nishant, Soma alias Ajeet and the woman-Manki alias Geeta, he said.
While Fagoo was active as Divisional Supply Team member of Maoists, Manki was the member of Indravati National Park Border Company, the SP said adding that the duo were natives of Bijapur.
Similarly, Soma, a resident of Sukma, was the gunman of dreaded Maoist commander Papa Rao, the SP said.
Besides, two.315-bore country-made revolvers, eight live round ammunitions, one muzzle loading gun, two grenades, one INSAS magazine with two live rounds, three detonators, four bundles of wire, 35 gelatin sticks, one kg explosive, naxal literature and magazines, Rs2,950 cash and other related materials were recovered from the spot, he added.
With this encounter, so far 79 naxals have been killed this year in Bastar division.