Maoists issue statement, reveals 18 cadre killed in Bijapur gun battle
Team News Riveting
Jagdalpur, January 18
The security forces received a major breakthrough in the Bijapur encounter that took place on Friday as Maoists claimed its top leader Damodar alias Chokha Rao was killed in the gun battle.
The jawans of District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawans from three districts including Bijapur, Sukma and Dantewada besides elite commandos of CRPF’s anti-Maoists battalion CoBRA and CRPF on Friday struck at the camp of Maoists in Pujari Kanker area of Bijapur. The operation was launched on a specific intelligence input about the presence of leaders of Maoists’ strongest battalion.
After the encounter, security personnel discovered 12 bodies and a huge cache of arms and ammunition. Besides, a tunnel was also traced in which rebels were taking cover and storing arms and ammunition.
The police officials claimed that 12 Maoists were killed in the encounter. It was based on the recovery of bodies.
On Saturday, the South Bastar Divisional Committee of banned Communist Party of India (Maoists) issued a statement claiming that 18 of its cadre were killed in the encounter. It admitted that the outlawed organisation had to suffer heavy casualties.
The rebels revealed that the most wanted Maoist commander, State Committee member and Telangana State Committee Chief Damodar alias Chokha Rao was also killed in this encounter. He was carrying a reward of Rs 50 lakh on his head.
Police claimed that hardcore Maoist leader Hidma and Deve were also present in the camp and probably managed to escape. The rebels claimed that the killing of Damodar was a big jolt to the outfit.
