Naxal gunned down in Chhattisgarh

A naxal was today gunned down in an exchange of fire with security forces in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Sukma district, police said.
The skirmish occurred in the forests of Tarlaguda village under Golapalli police station limits between a joint team of security forces and rebels, a senior police official told PTI.
A composite squad of Special Task Force (STF) and District Reserve Group (DRG) led by Sukma Superintendent of Police D Shravan and Additional SP Santosh Singh were carrying out anti-naxal operation in the interiors of Golapalli, around 500 kms away from the state capital, for the past few days, he said.

While they were cordoning off Tarlaguda forests this morning, a gun-battle broke out between security forces and ultras. The naxal, however, soon fled into the deep forests on finding security forces zeroing-in on them, he added.
Later during search, the body of a cadre clad in 'uniform', beside a muzzle loading gun,tiffin bomb fitted with detonators, gun powder, Insas rifle rounds and naxal literaturewere recovered from the spot, the official said.
The killed Maoist was identified asMadkam Muda, a janmiltia member ofJan militia Battigudem area, he said, adding that "verification is on for his criminal history and involvement in the incidents of violence".

This is second encounter in last three days in Sukma district.
A naxal was gunned down in Gondiguda forests of Golapalli on February 18.
With this encounter, so far 32 Maoists have been killed in separate encounters with security forces in Bastar region so far this year, he added.