By iANS,
Raipur: Security forces in Chhattisgarh Friday killed at least 17 Maoists and injured several others after being attacked by the rebels at three places, police said.
Four Maoists have also been arrested. Two security personnel who were seriously injured in the gun battles have been flown to Raipur for medical treatment.
Additional Director General of Police Ram Niwas told IANS that the 17 died in Bijapur in Bastar region. Some other injured security personnel were being treated in Narayanpur, he said.
According to Bastar Inspector General of Police T.J. Langkumer, the Maoists attacked security forces at Dornapal in Sukma district, at Bijapur and in Narayanpur district Thursday night.
In the retaliatory fire in Bijapur, at least 17 guerrillas were killed.
According to police sources, security forces learnt that a large number of Maoists were meeting in the jungles of Korsagudaunder Basaguda in Bijapur district Thursday night.
A joint team of the Special Task Force, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and COBRA battalion was dispatched to the site.
Smelling danger, the Maoists attacked the security forces, triggering heavy gun battles that left 17 rebels dead and several injured.
The surviving insurgents escaped.
Six CRPF personnel were injured in the fight. Of them, the two seriously injured were flown to Raipur and admitted to the MMI Hospital for emergency treatment.
In Narayanpur, Maoists attacked security forces searching for them in the forests of Irpanar and Gumter areas late Thursday.
Security forces seized two guns, one rifle and three bombs from the site.