"anti-naxal-operation"

Assistant Commandant Nitin Bhalerao, 33, succumbed to injuries suffered in the blast in the early hours of Sunday and nine commandos, were injured.

The gunfight took place at around 5 am in Darbha forest under Kutru police station limits when a joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the District Force was out on an anti-Naxal operation.