Police-Maoist gunfight erupts in Chhattisgarh

RAIPUR - A contingent of Chhattisgarh police was engaged in a gun battle with heavily armed Maoists Saturday in a thickly forested and hilly area in Bijapur district of the state’s restive Bastar region, police said.

The gunfight broke out late Saturday evening when rebels opened indiscriminate fire on a large contingent of Chhattisgarh Armed Force (armed police) and the district force, officials here at police headquarters said.

“The encounter (gunfight) is on and our men are retaliating. We don’t have any idea of any casualty from either side,” an officer added.

Bijapur is around 420 km from Raipur.