Sukma, March 22: As many as 17 security personnel who went missing after an encounter with Naxals have been found dead, the Chhattisgarh police said on Sunday. The martyred jawans include 12 District Reserve Group (DRG) personnel and five from Special Task Force (STF). The security personnel went missing after the encounter with Maoists in Sukma district on Saturday. At least 15 paramilitary jawans were injured and one Maoist was killed in the gunfight. Chhattisgarh: CRPF Jawan Martyred in Encounter With Naxals in Bijapur.

On Sunday, a team of STF District Reserve Group (DRG) and Cobra Battalion re-launched a search operation to find the missing personnel and later found their bodies. Speaking of how events unfolded, a source in the Police Headquarters told IANS: "A police team was on patrol in the Chintagufa Thana area of the Sukma district when the Naxals ambushed them." Sources also described the attack as big and that the number of rebels was "large." Chhattisgarh: CRPF Jawan Martyred in Encounter With Naxals in Dhamtari.

ANI Tweet on Missing Security Personnel in Sukma:

"The exchange of fire continued for some time in which eight jawans were injured and a rebel was killed," another source was quoted as saying. Earlier today, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that he had received information that several Naxals were killed and injured in the encounter. He also visited Rama Krishna Hospital in Raipur to meet the security personnel who were injured in the encounter.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 22, 2020 03:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).