Raipur, March 30 -- Security forces gunned down 18 Naxals, including 11 women, in twin encounters in Chhattisgarh's Sukma and Bijapur districts in the Bastar region on Saturday. The encounters occurred on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to Chhattisgarh. Four jawans were injured as security teams inflicted major damage on Naxals, killing 17 cadres, including a high-ranking Maoist, identified as Kuhdami Jagdish, carrying a reward of Rs 25 lakh on his head, in Sukma, police said.
Kuhdami Jagdish was wanted in more than a dozen deadly Naxal incidents, including the 2013 Jhiram Valley attack that left several Congress leaders dead. Another encounter was reported from the neighbouring Bijapur district where one Naxal wa...