Maoists Saturday admitted they had lost 18 cadres, including some of their senior commanders, in Thursday’s encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur, in which 12 rebels were earlier reported to be killed. A statement issued by Ganga, secretary of south Bastar divisional committee, said the Maoist organisation’s Telangana state committee chief Damodar alias Chokha Rao was among the slain rebels.
Maoists had apparently taken the bodies of six cadres along with them while retreating into the forest after the encounter. The security forces Friday returned to the base with 12 bodies, whose identification is pending. Reds, in their statement, claimed the security forces had suffered five casualties, while dozens of security men were injured.
