Woman Naxal killed, policeman injured in separate gunbattles

A woman Naxal, carrying a cash reward on her head, was killed and a police jawan injured in two separate gunbattles in the insurgency-hit Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh, police said today.
"The woman cadre identified as Rukmi, a member of Bodhghat LOS (local organisation squad) of Maoists was gunned down in the exchange of fire with a joint team of security forces last night in the forest of Chhote Dongar police station area," Narayanpur Superintendent of Police Abhishek Meena told PTI.
She was carrying a reward of Rs one lakh on her head, he added.
Based on a tip-off, separate joint teams of Special Task Force (STF), District Reserve Group (DRG) and district force from Narayanpur and its neighbouring district Kondagaon had launched an anti-Maoist operation in Chhote Dongar area, located about 300 km away from here, on Monday, he said.

While security forces were advancing through forests between Kilam and Becha villages last night, a group of ultras opened indiscriminate fire on them, following which they retaliated leading to the death of a woman Naxal, he added.
However, other cadres soon fled from the spot.

During the search carried out later, besides the body of the woman cadre clad in 'uniform', a 12-bore gun and its live cartridges were recovered from the spot, he said.
In a separate incident this morning, a police team came under heavy fire from Maoists while it was carrying out a search operation near Becha village in the same Chhote Dongar areathat led to a gun-battle between both the sides,the SP said.

An assistant constable, Siyaram Yadav, sustained bullet injuries in the encounter that lasted for a short while, he said.
"Although drag marks and blood stains found at the spot indicate that two-three Naxals were killed and many others injured in exchange of fire but their colleagues managed to take them away from the spot," he added.
After getting the information, reinforcement was rushed to the spot and the injured jawan was airlifted to Raipur for treatment, he added.