Nine maoists were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Tuesday. The encounter broke out in a forest near Lendra village at around 6 am when a joint team of security personnel was conducting an anti-Naxal operation.
Personnel belonging to the District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) have been deployed for the operation.
The security personnel also recovered several automatic weapons, including a light machine gun and other weapons, after the encounter. A search operation is underway in the area.
Bijapur, which is located in the Bastar region, is a hotbed of Maoist activity. Around 37 naxalites have been killed in separate encounters with security forces in Bastar region, comprising seven districts including Bijapur, so far this year, PTI reported quoting police.
The encounter comes just days ahead of Lok Sabha elections. The Bastar Lok Sabha constituency goes to polls in the first phase on April 19.
