New Delhi, March 20 -- A jawan of the Bijapur District Reserve Guard (DRG) was martyred and bodies of 22 Naxalites were recovered in two separate encounters in Chhattisgarh on Thursday, police said.

A joint team was deployed under the Gangalur police station in the border areas of Bijapur and Dantewada districts as part of the anti-Maoist operation. Continuous firing was reported between the Maoists and security forces since 7 am on Thursday.

At the encounter site, the bodies of 18 Naxals recovered. The security forces recovered weapons and ammunition while the encounter and search operation is still underway, said Bijapur Police.

Four bodies of Naxals were recovered after a gunfight at another location in Chhattisgarh's Kanker distric...