Twelve Naxals were killed during an encounter in Chhattisgarh’s South Bastar region on Thursday, according to officials. The encounter is ongoing, and security forces are conducting a detailed search operation in the area.

Further details regarding the incident are awaited.

In a separate incident earlier on Sunday, five Naxals were killed during an encounter with security forces in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh. Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Yadav stated that the bodies of two female and three male Naxals were recovered from the site. Their identification is yet to be completed.

The police also recovered various weapons and explosives from the forested area under the National Park in Bijapur. The recovered items included a Self-Loading Rifle (SLR), a 12-bore rifle, a single-shot rifle, a BGL launcher, and other ammunition.

According to SP Yadav, the operation was based on intelligence about Naxal presence in the Bandepara-Korenjed forests under the Madded police station limits. Security forces launched an anti-Maoist operation in the area on January 11.

An exchange of fire occurred between the security forces and the Naxals on Sunday morning in the Bandepara-Korenjed forest. The clash continued until late afternoon. Following the operation, the search team recovered the bodies of five Naxals in uniform.

In addition to the recovered weapons, materials such as explosives, Maoist literature, and other items were seized during the operation.

-ANI