Naxal killed in Chhattisgarh; looted weapon recovered

Naxal killed in Chhattisgarh; looted weapon recovered
Raipur, March 17: Chhattisgarh Police on Saturday killed a Naxal militant in a gunbattle and recovered a weapon which they said was looted after the recent attack on a police outpost in Bijapur district.

A .303 rifle, looted from the Rani Bodli police outpost after Thursday's attack that left 55 securitymen dead, was recovered from the slain Naxalite in Pharsegarh area of Bijapur district, police said.

Since Naxalites are active in Pharsegarh, which is not very far from Rani Bodli, personnel of the Special Task Force (STF) and paramilitary forces had launched a combing operation during which the gunbattle took place resulting in the death of the ultra, they said.

The outpost is not far off from Abujhmad area, where the Naxalites have set up their headquarters. Since it was a difficult terrain and police face threat of landmines, security forces made an aerial survey on a helicopter provided by the Centre, they said.

After the survey they took into account intelligence inputs and prepared a plan for combing operations and dispatched teams to various parts of the region, surrounded by thick forests, they said.

Meanwhile, commandant of the 9th battalion of the Chhattisgarh armed police Mohammed Hussain, deployed at Rani Bodli, was suspended and the CRPF given charge of the outpost.

Although, he was not suspended for failing to prevent the attack, Home Minister Ram Vichar Netam, on his visit to Rani Bodli, found Hussain was on unauthorised leave at the time of the incident, they said.

Link