Four Naxalites, including three women cadres, were killed on Wednesday in an encounter with the police in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district, an official said.
The anti-Naxal Hawk Force of the state police and local police teams took part in the operation in a forested area, said additional superintendent of police Vijay Dabar. Weapons were also recovered from the encounter site, police said.Balaghat shares borders with Gondia district of Maharashtra and Rajnandgaon, Khairagarh and Kawardha districts of Chhattisgarh with both adjoining states facing Left-wing extremism in certain pockets.
The gun battle broke out in the morning, at a location some 90 km away from the district headquarters, Dabar told PTI.The spot is near Ronda Forest Camp in Supkhar Forest Range under Garhi police station area, as per an official statement.
Identity of the slain Naxalites was yet to be ascertained, officials said.
Police recovered an INSAS rifle, a Self-Loading Rifle (SLR) and a .303 rifle from the spot.
Twelve police teams were carrying out a combing operation to track down the Naxalites who escaped into the forest, officials said.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav took to X to congratulate the police for neutralising the rebels.
“Congratulations to the Madhya Pradesh police for this achievement in the effort to eradicate Naxalism from the state,” he wrote.
Yadav, who holds the home portfolio, asserted his government is working towards achieving the Centre’s goal of eliminating the Left-wing extremism in the next one year.
