Five jawans martyred fighting Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district

RAIPUR: At least five security personnel including a CRPF jawan and two Maoists were killed in a fierce gunbattle at the Silger forested terrain in south Chhattisgarh's Bijapur on Saturday. Around a dozen jawans were also injured  in the encounter.

The incident happened when security forces were sent on the intelligence-based anti-Maoist operations from three different directions along the Bijapur-Sukma border area on Friday night.

A team of troopers reportedly got trapped in an ambush near Tarrem on Saturday noon followed by an encounter that continued for nearly three hours, according to the information reaching the state capital.

The Chhattisgarh DGP DM Awasthi confirmed that five jawans were killed in the gunfight.

The Maoists carried out the attack when the forces were returning after the operation. Two choppers and nine ambulances have been rushed to Bijapur.

The reinforcement was rushed to the spot and the forces are yet to return from the operation, the DGP added.

Two bodies of rebels were also recovered from the encounter site.

This is the second major Maoist attack inflicting casualties on the forces during the last 10 days in the conflict zone of Bastar.

On March 23, five personnel of District Reserve Guards (DRG) were killed and over a dozen injured in a series of powerful IED blasts targeting a bus carrying jawans in the Narayanpur district.

Meanwhile, an emergency meeting of top state and police officials including the director of the intelligence bureau was convened in Raipur. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel condemned the incident by calling it a 'dastardly act' of Maoists.