Gunfight Between Maoists, Paramilitary Force In Chhattisgarh's Sukma

Several security personnel have been injured in an encounter with the Maoists today in Chhattisgarh, which is voting in the first phase of polling.

The gunfight, which lasted around 20 minutes, took place in a forest between Tadmetla and Duled villages, officials said.

Jawans of the 206 CoBRA Battalion were deployed in the forested area to secure the election party in the Minpa village of Dakshin Bastar Dantewada district.

Earlier this morning, a CRPF CoBRA personnel on election duty was injured in a blast triggered by the Maoists in the Tondamarka area of Sukma.

Twenty of Chhattisgarh's 90 seats are voting today in the first phase. Twelve of them are located in the Maoist-hit Bastar region, and tight security arrangements have been made. 

Around 60,000 security personnel have been deployed in this zone. In 2018, the Congress won 17 of the 20 seats, while the BJP managed just two.