A massive gunfight in the jungles of Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh state has left 33 people dead and 2 others injured. Among the dead are two jawans and 31 Maoists.
The Indian media outlet Times of India reported on Sunday (February 9).
Two security personnel and at least 31 Maoists were killed in a fierce encounter with security forces in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh's Bastar division this morning, the media outlet said.
Bijapur is the same district where an IED blast killed eight security personnel and a civilian driver in early January, after which eight Maoists were killed in an anti-Maoist operation that began there in the last week of January.
Two jawans were also injured in the ongoing encounter in the jungles of Bijapur. Police said that the bodies of 12 Maoists in uniform have been recovered along with weapons and explosives, while incessant firing is also going on.
A team of security forces launched an anti-Maoist operation in the jungles of the Indravati National Park area. The operation was launched based on information about the presence of a large number of senior cadres. Meanwhile, a gunfight broke out in the jungles between the Maoists and the security forces in the early hours of Sunday and 31 Maoists were killed.
Officials said the condition of the injured jawans is not critical. More security personnel have been sent to the encounter site and search operations are ongoing