Naxalites changed out of uniform, mixed among villagers during encounter in Bijapur: Police

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Naxalites changed into civilian clothes to pose as villagers and mislead the police after the first exchange of fire with the security personnel during Friday's encounter in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, an official said. According to the police, 12 Naxalites were gunned down by security personnel in a 12-hour operation in the forest near Pidia village under the Gangloor police station limits on Friday.
Their bodies were brought to Bijapur district headquarters on Saturday morning.
«The identity of the deceased has been ascertained. They were carrying a cumulative reward of Rs 31 lakh on their heads,» Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav told reporters.

Budhu Oyam and Kallu Punem, both members of military company no. 2, were carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh each on their head, while Gangaloor area committee member of Maoists Lakhe Kunjam and member of military platoon no. 12 Bhima Karam were carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh each on their heads, he said.
The other deceased, militia platoon commander Sannu Lakom and vice head of Janata Sarkar (people's government) Avlam, were carrying a bounty of Rs 2 lakh each, the SP said, adding that six others were lower-run members of the outlawed outfit.
Some Maoists also tried to surround the security forces by laying ambushes at three places, but the attempts were foiled, he said.
«A peculiar thing we noticed for the first time during this operation was that after the first exchange of fire, some Naxalites changed into civil clothes and mixed with