Raipur

Over a dozen rebels were also believed to have suffered injuries in the gunfight, a senior officer said.

The encounter broke out at around 10 am in the forest of Ikmetta village in Abhujmad area when a joint team of the Special Task Force (STF) and the DRG was out on an anti-Maoist operation, Deputy Inspector General (anti-naxal operation) Sundarraj P told PTI over the phone.

The security forces had launched the operation on getting a specific input about the presence of around 200 ultras in forests of Ikmetta, Irpanar and Irakbhatti villages of the district, he said.

When the patrolling team was advancing through Ikmetta, located around 350km from the state capital Raipur, it came under heavy fire from a big group of armed naxals, triggering the gun-battle, the IPS officer said.

After a prolonged exchange of fire, the naxals fled inside dense forest, he added.

"A DRG jawan, identified as Dayaram Nureti, sustained minor injuries in the incident," the DIG said.

Nureti was rushed to a local hospital where his condition was said to be out of danger, he added.

As per ground report and bloodstains found at the encounter spot, at least 10-15 naxals were believed to have sustained bullet injuries, but their colleagues managed to drag them inside the forest, he said.

Further details would be known once the troops reach their camp, Sundarraj added.

The DRG is the state police's counter-insurgency force.

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