New Delhi: The District Reserve Guards (DRG) and the Central Reserve Police Force’s anti-Maoist specialized wing CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) in a joint operation killed a Maoist in the forest area of Timmapuram under Chintalnar Police Station limits in the Sukma district of Chhattisgarh.

According to officials in the CRPF, the operation started around 6.45 a.m. in the morning, when the joint force was out for area domination and came under the fire of the ultras leading to a gunfight. Sukma SP Sunil Sharma also confirmed the death of a Maoist in the encounter.

“One Naxal killed in a joint operation of DRG and CoBRA 201 bn in the forest area of Timmapuram under Chintalnar Police Station limits,” the Superintendent of Police (SP) Sukma Sunil Sharma said.

The troopers of DRG of the state police and the 201st Battalion of CoBRA were out on patrolling to ensure security for the ongoing road construction works in interior areas wherein a group of armed Maoists opened fire on the patrolling team near Thimmapuram, located over 450 km from the state capital Raipur, leading to the gunfight and after the exchange of fire stopped, the body of a male Maoist wearing his ‘uniform’ and firearms were recovered from the spot, Singh informed.

When the patrolling team was withdrawing from the forest, an exchange of fire broke out again, the officials said, adding that intermittent firing was still underway in the area.

Despite the weakening footprints of the Maoists in the hinterland, there has been a spurt in the attacks on the security forces in last four weeks and in these actions, seven ultras have been killed in five separate encounters between security forces and the ultras in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.

“This could be an attempt to revive the spirit of the cadre and to gain a hold on the ground; the Maoists are hitting the security forces,” the officials in the security forces deployed on the ground said.