30 Naxalites gunned down in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region

Dantewada:  Thirty Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region on Friday, a senior police official said.

The gunfight broke out at around 1 pm in the forest between Thulthuli and Nendur villages in Abhujmaad on the Narayanpur-Dantewada inter-district border, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P told PTI over phone.

Personnel belonging to District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Special Task Force (STF) were involved in the operation, he said.

Bodies of 30 Naxalites along with a cache of weapons, including an AK-47 rifle and one SLR (self-loading rifle), have been recovered from the encounter spot so far, the official said.

Intermittent exchange of fire is still underway in the area, the IG said.

So far this year, 171 Maoists have been gunned down by security forces in separate battles in the Bastar region, as per police.

The region comprises seven districts, including Dantewada and Narayanpur.