10 Naxals killed in encounter with police in Chhattisgarh

Telangana Police's elite Greyhounds force today swooped on a Naxal camp deep inside Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, killing at least 10 Maoists which may include some senior cadre members, officials said.

Based on an intelligence report, the personnel of Greyhounds went 35-km into neighbouring Chhattisgarh area and launched an operation on the Maoist camp, they said.

The Greyhounds, Telangana's anti-Naxal force, attacked the camp as part of a joint operation with the Chhattisgarh Police.

A jawan of the Greyhounds was injured in the gunfight, a senior police official said, adding those killed were yet to be identified, but senior Maoist leaders could be among them.

An AK-47 has been been recovered from the encounter site. It is a normal practice with Maoists that hi-tech assault rifles are given to senior cadre members, officials said.

The exchange of fire took place between a team of Greyhounds and rebels in a forest near Pujari Kanker under Pamed police station area, about 500 km from Raipur, Bijapur Superintendent of Police Mohit Garg told PTI.

Security forces from Telangana and Chhattisgarh had launched a counter-insurgency operation in the forest on the inter-state border based on inputs about a gathering of a large group of ultras, he said.

"Over 10 Maoists are reported to have been killed in the encounter. However, so far 10 bodies have been recovered along with some automatic weapons," the SP said.

The injured jawan was being shifted to a nearby hospital, he said.

The search operation was underway and more details were awaited, Garg said.

Earlier, a Telangana Police official said, "Initial reports indicate ten Maoists were killed in an exchange of fire between them and police at around 6.30 AM in Bijapur district."

GreyHounds is a special force of the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh which undertakes operations against Naxals.