Chhattisgarh: Exchange of fire underway between security forces, Naxalites in Bijapur

Bijapur (Chhattisgarh) [India], January 12 (ANI): An exchange of fire is underway between security forces and Naxalites in the forests under the National Park area of Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, said police officials on Sunday.
The police officials said that a search operation was underway in the area.
More details are awaited.
On Saturday, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan was injured as an improvised explosive device (IED) laid down by the Naxalites exploded in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, officials said.
This happened after a team of CRPF from 196 Battalion Mahadev Ghat had left for the forest to carry out area domination in the morning. During the operations, one jawan was injured due to an IED blast.
The injured jawan was admitted to the District Hospital Bijapur for treatment.
Earlier on Thursday, the bodies of three Naxals and several weapons were recovered from the encounter that took place in the Sukma-Bijapur border in Chhattisgarh, an official said.
"Bodies of three Naxals and weapons recovered. The search operation is still underway," said SP Sukma Kiran Chavan.
The encounter between security forces and Naxals broke out in the forest at the Sukma-Bijapur border in Chhattisgarh on Thursday.
Superintendent of Police of Sukma, Kiran Chavan, said the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF) and the Central Reserve Police Force's jungle warfare unit (CoBRA) teams were involved in the encounter.
This comes after eight jawans were killed in an IED blast by Maoists earlier. The security personnel carried out demining exercises to prevent such incidents from happening in the incident.
The demining exercise focuses on removing the unexploded land mines that may pose a threat to civilians as well.
The forces have deployed personnel in heavy numbers at the location of the incident. The blast was so powerful that it created a huge hole and cracks in the concrete road. Similarly, the remains of the vehicle were scattered for several meters.
Eight jawans from the District Reserve Guards (DRG) and one civilian driver were killed in an IED blast triggered by the Naxalites in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Monday, an official said.
According to Bastar Inspector General (IG) Sundarraj P, the jawans were returning from a joint operation of Dantewada, Narayanpur and Bijapur police when the blast occurred. (ANI)