Bijapur (Chhattisgarh), Feb 5: A Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security personnel in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Thursday, a police official said.
The exchange of fire broke out in a forest in the southern part of the district at 7.30 am when a joint team of security forces was out on an anti-Naxalite operation, a senior official said.
The intermittent exchange of fire is still underway. So far, the body of a Naxalite, along with an AK-47 rifle, has been recovered from the spot, he said.
More details will be shared once the operation is over, he added.
With this action, at least 23 Maoists have been killed in separate encounters in the state so far this year.
Earlier, 14 Maoists were gunned down in two encounters on January 3 in the Bastar region, which comprises seven districts, including Bijapur.
Last year, a total of 285 Maoists were killed in encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh.
The Centre has set a deadline of March 31 this year to eradicate Left-Wing Extremism from the country. (PTI)
