A Special Task Force (STF) trooper on Tuesday encountered a wild bear during a gunbattle with Maoists at the borders of Narayanpur and Kanker districts in Chhattisgarh. A senior police official on Wednesday said Constable Mangal Mandavi sustained bite injuries on his leg during the face-off with the animal. He was airlifted to Narayanpur on Wednesday morning and admitted to the district hospital, he said, adding that his condition was at present stable. Ten Naxalites, including three women, were killed in a firefight in the forest between Tekmeta and Kakur villages in Abhujmad area, a Naxalite stronghold, on Tuesday. During the exchange of fire, three bears suddenly came up from behind Mandavi and his colleagues. His colleagues escaped from the place. One of the bears caught hold of one of Mandavis legs when he tried to hide among bamboo trees. The trooper hit back with a stick, prompting the bear to flee.

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