In one of the most significant counter-insurgency operations in recent years, at least 15 Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces in the dense forests of Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh, early Wednesday morning. The operation, targeting top Maoist leaders, is ongoing, and officials believe the death toll could rise as the search continues.
The encounter occurred in the Karregutta hill region along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, a known stronghold of the Maoist outfit’s dreaded Battalion Number 1. “Preliminary reports suggest 15 to 18 Maoists have been neutralised. A search operation is underway to confirm identities and recover more bodies,” said a senior police official involved in monitoring the operation.
The offensive, one of the largest in the Maoist-affected Bastar region, involves over 24,000 personnel drawn from the Chhattisgarh Police’s District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters, Special Task Force (STF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and its elite CoBRA unit. Launched after specific intelligence inputs, the mission aims to dismantle high-ranking Maoist leadership, including operatives from the Telangana state committee.
“Intelligence suggests that several senior Maoist cadres have either been killed or critically injured,” the officer added. On Monday, one woman Maoist was also killed, although her identity remains unknown.
In a related incident on April 24, three women Naxals were killed in the same region, and security forces seized a large cache of weapons, explosives, and other materials. Since the beginning of the ongoing offensive, hundreds of hideouts and underground bunkers have been destroyed, and substantial amounts of explosives, detonators, and food supplies recovered.
Six security personnel from STF, DRG, and CoBRA units sustained injuries due to pressure IED blasts in the area. They are receiving treatment and are reported to be out of danger.
Officials have lauded the precision and coordination of the operation, which marks a significant blow to the Maoist infrastructure in southern Chhattisgarh.
Sources By Agencies
