2 Naxals involved in BJP MLA's killing gunned down in Chhattisgarh

Raipur: Two Naxals, allegedly involved in the killing of a BJP MLA and four security personnel, were gunned down in a fierce encounter with police on Thursday in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, officials said.

Another rebel was injured in the skirmish that took place around 5.30 am at a forest in Daulikarka village when a team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was out on an anti-Naxal operation, Deputy Inspector General (anti-Naxal operations) Sundarraj P told PTI.

When the patrolling team was advancing through Daulikarka, located around 450 km from the state capital Raipur, an exchange of fire broke out between the two sides, he said.

"After the guns fell silent, bodies of two ultras and a .315 bore gun were recovered from the spot," he said.

A militia member of Maoists was also found injured at the spot and was shifted to a local hospital, he said.

The killed cadres, identified as Vargese and Linga, were allegedly involved in the ambush in which Mandavi and his four security personnel were killed on April 9, Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava said.

The MLA's convoy was heading towards Kuwakonda from Bacheli area when the Naxalites blew up their vehicle with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and opened fire at the occupants.

Vargese, a member of the Malangir Area Committee of Maoists, was looking after working of the banned outfit's students' wing in the area, the DIG said.

He was also said to be having an expertise in assembling and planting IEDs, he said. Besides, Linga was active as LOS (local organisation squad) member in the Katekalyan Area Committee of Maoists, he said, adding a search operation was still underway in the region.