RAIPUR: At least 30 cadres of the banned CPI (Maoist) were killed in two separate encounters in Bastar division, south Chhattisgarh, on Thursday, as security forces intensified operations against left-wing insurgency.
According to Bastar police, a joint team of security forces launched an anti-Maoist operation based on specific intelligence inputs. Around 7 AM, an encounter broke out in the dense forests along the inter-district border of Bijapur and Dantewada, where at least 26 Naxalites were neutralized. During the exchange of fire, a District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawan from Bijapur lost his life.
The operation comes over a month after an encounter in Bijapur’s Indravati National Park area, where 31 Naxalites and two security personnel were killed.
State Home Minister Vijay Sharma confirmed that 18 bodies have been recovered so far, while search operations are still ongoing. "In a big success, so far, the forces have neutralized 18 ultras, and their bodies have been recovered. One DRG jawan was martyred during the gunfight. The exchange of fire and simultaneous search operations are still underway," he said.
Several weapons and explosives were also seized from the encounter site.
Meanwhile, in another ongoing encounter in Kanker district, north Bastar division, a joint team of Border Security Force (BSF) and DRG killed four Maoists near the Abujhmad jungle of Narayanpur.
No security personnel were injured in the operation, and further details are awaited.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah reacted to the operation, stating that the security forces had achieved "another big success" in the mission to eliminate Naxalism under the 'Naxal Mukt Bharat Abhiyan'.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he said, "22 Naxalites were killed in two separate operations by our security forces in Bijapur and Kanker of Chhattisgarh."
Shah reiterated the Modi government's "ruthless approach" against Naxalism, asserting that a zero-tolerance policy is being followed for those who refuse to surrender despite rehabilitation opportunities. He further stated that the country is on track to become Naxal-free by March 31 next year.
This year, security forces have recovered the bodies of 103 Maoists killed in various encounters across Chhattisgarh. Last year, Maoists suffered their biggest setback in Bastar, where 219 Naxalites were killed in anti-insurgency operations.
The recent encounters are part of a renewed strategy to eliminate Maoist influence in Chhattisgarh by March 2026. Bijapur, Dantewada, Kanker, and Narayanpur remain among the seven worst Maoist-affected districts in the state.
(With inputs from Online Desk)