2 Naxals killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh

Two Naxals, including a woman, were killed in an encounter with the security forces in the forests of Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Monday, police said.

The firefight occurred around 7 am in the forest near Kanhaiguda village under Konta police station limits when a team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was out on a counter-insurgency operation, Deputy Inspector General (Anti-Naxal Operations) Sundarraj P told PTI.

"When the patrolling team was advancing through the forest -- located around 500 km away from the capital Raipur -- a gun battle broke out with Naxals," the DIG said. "After the firing stopped, we found the bodies of two ultras, including one woman, clad in uniform."

Two firearms were also recovered from the spot, the officer said, adding that further details were awaited as the search operations were continuing in the area.

The DIG said patrolling had been beefed up in the forests and interiors of all seven districts of the Bastar division -- Dantewada, Bijapur, Bastar, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, Sukma and Kanker -- as the Maoists were observing "martyrs' week" from July 28-August 3.