A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer was killed and a jawan injured in an exchange of fire with Naxals in Chhattisgarh's left-wing extremism that affected Bijapur district on Saturday, officials said.
The incident took place around 9.30 am near a rivulet close to Putkel village under Basaguda police station limits when a team of CRPF's 168th battalion was out on a road security duty, Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P told PTI.
When the patrolling team was cordoning off a forest near Dongal Chinta rivulet in the forest, around 450 km away from capital Raipur, it came under heavy fire from a group of Maoists leading to the gunfight, he said.
"Assistant Commandant Shanti Bhusan Tirkey, belonging to the CRPF's 168th battalion was killed in the incident, while jawan Appa Rao sustained injuries," the IG said.
After being alerted about the incident, reinforcement was rushed to the spot. The situation is under control, he said. The injured jawan and the body of the martyred officer are being shifted out of the forest, he said, adding the search operation is underway in nearby areas.
(With PTI inputs.)
