14 Maoists killed in two separate encounters in Chhattisgarhs Sukma and Bijapur
Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan said the encounter took place in the forest area of Kistaram, where District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel engaged in a gunfight with Maoists.
New Delhi: At least 14 Naxalites were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma and Bijapur districts, officials said on Saturday.
Sukma encounter
Twelve Naxalites were neutralised during a fierce gun battle with security forces in Sukma district late on Friday night. The operation was launched by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) following intelligence inputs about Maoist movement in the Palodi and Potakpalli areas under the Kistaram police station limits.
The encounter took place near Pamlur village in the Kistaram region, where security personnel came under fire during a search operation. In the exchange, forces killed 12 armed cadres.
Officials confirmed that Mangdu, the secretary of the Konta Area Committee, was among those killed. The identities of the remaining Naxalites are yet to be established.
Arms recovered from encounter site
Security personnel recovered a cache of automatic weapons from the spot, including AK-47 and INSAS rifles, indicating the presence of senior and well-armed Maoist operatives in the area.
The operation was being closely monitored by Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan. Authorities said further details would be shared once the search operation is completed.
Two Maoists killed in Bijapur operation
Earlier on Saturday, two Naxalites were killed in a separate encounter in Bijapur district. The gunfight broke out around 5 am in a dense forest area in the southern part of the district.
A team of the District Reserve Guard launched an anti-Naxalite operation based on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of Maoist cadres. Following an exchange of fire, the bodies of two Naxalites were recovered from the site.
Officials said intermittent firing was continuing in the area, suggesting more Maoists could be hiding in the forests.
High Maoist casualties reported last year
Chhattisgarh recorded significant success against Left-Wing Extremism last year, with as many as 285 Naxalites killed in encounters across the state. Of these, 257 were eliminated in the Bastar division, which includes seven districts such as Bijapur, while 27 were killed in Gariaband district under the Raipur division.
Security forces have intensified operations in Maoist-affected regions as part of a sustained push to dismantle insurgent networks.