Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In a major breakthrough in ongoing anti-Naxal operations, security forces in Balaghat gunned down four Left Wing Extremists (LWE) — including three women and one man — during a fierce encounter in the dense forests of Pachama Dadar range under Rupjhar police station area on Saturday.
Director General (Anti-Naxal Operations) Pankaj Shrivastava confirmed the development and said, “Three female and one male Maoist were neutralised in the encounter.”
The joint operation was carried out by the Hawk Force and the local police based on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of Maoists in the area.
According to officials, the security forces first launched an assault on the Maoist camp deep inside the forest. In the initial exchange of fire, three Maoists were killed. As others attempted to flee, security personnel chased them and another round of gunfire led to the death of the fourth Maoist.
“The bodies of three women Maoists have been recovered. Identification is yet to be confirmed. The fourth body is also being retrieved,” said Shrivastava, adding that heavy rainfall had briefly halted combing operation.
He said that the operation is still in progress and the number of casualties could increase. Security forces are expected to resume their ground action on Sunday morning. It is believed that over 15 Maoist operatives are still present in the area.
All the deceased are believed to be members of the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit, which has a stronghold across Madhya Pradesh and adjoining Chhattisgarh.
A cache of weapons and combat supplies was recovered from the site, including an INSAS rifle, a Self-Loading Rifle (SLR), a .303 rifle and additional arms and ammunition. “We are still searching the area and suspect there may be more weapons and possibly more casualties,” officials said.
