Three Cobra jawans injured in encounter with Naxals

RAIPUR: Three Cobra jawans were today injured in a gun-battle between paramilitary forces and Maoists in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Dantewada district.

The encounter took place in restive forests of Kodanar under Aranpur Police Station limits when security forces were returning after an anti-Naxal operation in the region early this morning, Dantewada Superintendent of Police, Kamlochan Kashyap said.

A squad of Cobra's (Compact Battalion for Resolute Action), a specialised unit of CRPF, 201 battalion was mobilised from Jagargunda (Sukma) for anti-Naxal operations since yesterday.

On their way back to their camp this morning, when security forces reached Kodanar forests, a group of armed Naxals opened indiscriminate firing on them leaving three jawans injured.

However rebels fled to the core forest, when jawans retaliated, the SP said.

Soon after being informed, reinforcement was rushed to the spot, he said, adding the injured personnel are being retrieved from the forests. Further details are awaited.