Chhattisgarh: 24 Naxalites Gunned Down In Bastar, Encounter Underway Near Narayanpur-Dantewada Border

At least 24 Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region on Friday. An intermittent exchange of fire is still underway in the area.The gunfight broke out between a joint party of Narayanpur Police and Dantewada Police, and naxalites at around 1 pm in the forest between Thulthuli and Nendur villages in Abhujmaad on the Narayanpur-Dantewada inter-district border, following a search operation.The security personnel have recovered bodies of 14 Naxalites along with a cache of weapons, including an AK-47 rifle and one SLR from the encounter spot so far.Personnel belonging to District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Special Task Force (STF) were also involved in the gunfight operation, news agency PTI reported.Security forces on Thursday had busted a Naxalite camp in the Sukma district in the Bastar region after an encounter. A huge cache of explosives and other materials was also recovered.According to the police, 171 Maoists have been gunned down by security forces so far in separate battles in the Bastar region, which comprises seven districts, including Dantewada and Narayanpur.