At least six Maoists were gunned down by security forces in an encounter in Abhujhmargh mountains in restive Narayanpur district of Bastar, State Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) (Anti-Naxal Operations), DM Awasthi told reporters here on Tuesday.
He said, “Operation Prahaar-2 was taken into action last night. The Maoists were allegedly tasked with collecting ration, arranging a meeting of villagers, spreading Maoist propaganda and planting IEDs to harm security forces.”
“Weapons that were recovered were two .303 rifles and four 315 bore rifle,” he added.
Notably, Chhattisgarh stands fourth in the country in terms of the number of districts affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE).
A total of 106 districts in the country are considered as Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected. Of these, Bihar State has maximum 22 districts, followed by Jharkhand (21), Odisha(19), Chhattisgarh (16), Andhra Pradesh and Telangana,- both 8 each, West Bengal and Maharashtra,- both 4 each, Uttar Pradesh,- 3 and Madhya Pradesh, one, the Central Government had informed last year.
While taking it as a challenge, the Chhattisgarh government has completed construction of 1052 kms of roads in insurgency infested pockets of the State with co-operation of the Central government, State PWD Minister Rajesh Munat said in March last year.
In an official statement issued here, Munat said that the police provided adequate security cover to road development projects in the red zones.