Bijapur, March 20 -- Security forces have killed a total of 22 Naxalites in two separate operations in Bijapur and Kanker districts of Chhattisgarh, police said on Thursday.

The security forces neutralised 18 Maoists during an encounter in the forest area at the Bijapur-Dantewada border, Inspector General (IG) Bastar P Sundarraj said.

One personnel of the Bijapur District Reserve Guard also lost his life during the encounter, police added.

According to the police, the encounter got underway from 7 am today.

In the other encounter at the Kanker-Narayanpur border area, security forces grounded four Naxalites near village Koroskodo in the police station area of Chhotebethiya, Inspector General (IG) Bastar P Sundarraj said.

The security ...