Bhubaneswar: A Bastar Fighter constable and a Maoist were killed in a gun battle that broke out around 6.30 am on Sunday in the Kanker district of Chhattisgarh.
The deceased jawan has been identified as Bastar Fighter Ramesh Kureti (23).
According to reports, the encounter took place in Hidur forest, over 200 kilometers from Kanker district headquarters. Acting on a tip-off regarding the Maoist movement in the area, a joint team of Border Security Force (BSF), District Reserve Guards (DRG), and Bastar Fighters had set out on the operation near the Narayanpur border in Abujhmad.
It is worth mentioning here that the Bastar Fighters is a specialised force comprising local youths. It was in 2022 to fight Maoists. A total of 2,100 personnel were recruited from villages and trained by the Chhattisgarh Police to fight the ultras. In each of the seven districts in the Bastar range, 300 Bastar Fighters personnel have been deployed.
“The encounter went on for an hour. During search operations we have found the body of a Maoist cadre and an AK-47 rifle and a bullet,” said the additional superintendent of police of Kanker district, Avinash Thakur.
