NEW DELHI, March 20 (Xinhua) -- At least 30 Naxals and one policeman were killed Thursday in two separate fierce gunfights in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, police said.

The gunfights between Naxals and joint contingents of police and paramilitary forces broke out in the forests of Bijapur and Kanker districts, south of Raipur, the capital city of Chhattisgarh.

While 26 Naxals were gunned down in a forest area of Bijapur bordering Dantewada, a policeman of the District Reserve Guard force was also killed in the stand-off.

"Initially we recovered 18 bodies from the gunfight site but now with the recovery of eight more bodies, the death toll of Naxals in Bijapur has risen to 26," a senior police official said. "A policeman was also killed fighting these Naxals."

In a separate gunfight in Kanker, four Naxals were killed in an exchange of fire with government forces near Koroskodo village.

Police also claimed recovery of many automatic and semi-automatic weapons, besides some ammunition from the possession of slain Naxals.

India's federal Home Minister Amit Shah described the killings as a "big success."

"The Modi government is moving forward with a ruthless approach against Naxalites and is adopting a zero-tolerance policy against those Naxalites who are not surrendering despite all the facilities ranging from surrender to inclusion. The country is going to be Naxal-free before 31 March next year," Shah said in a brief statement posted on social media.

Last month, 31 Naxals and two policemen were killed in a similar gunfight in the forests of Indravati National Park in Bijapur district.

Reports said that with Thursday's action, so far 113 Naxalites have been killed in the state since the beginning of this year.

Currently, Naxals are active across the central and eastern parts of India.

The insurgency reportedly has claimed hundreds of lives besides rendering thousands of poor inhabitants homeless. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)