In a major encounter today, security forces gunned down 31 Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district. The gunbattle took place deep inside the Indravati National Park, where the security personnel were on an anti-Maoist operation. Unfortunately, two security personnel were killed and two others injured in the fierce gunbattle. The latter two are reported to be out of danger and have been evacuated for medical treatment.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah took to X to praise the security forces for their courage and also condemned the death of the soldiers. He said, “The government is committed to making Maoism-free India by March 31, 2026.” He further said, “This country will always be indebted to these heroes,” when he spoke of the sacrifice laid down by the soldiers in the battle against what Amit Shah has called “anti-human Naxalism.”
It was a joint operation of District Reserve Group, Special Task Force and Bastar Fighter Force. After the gunfight, the police found bodies of 31 rebels, attired in uniform, along with a huge cache of weapons comprising AK-47 rifles, Self Loading Rifles, INSAS rifles and grenade launchers, besides many types of explosives.
While a search operation is still underway at the spot with more forces mobilised to reinforce the area, the identities of the slain Maoists are being established.
This operation comes in the backdrop of a statement Shah made on January 6 following an incident when eight District Reserve Guard personnel and their driver were killed in a Maoist ambush in Bijapur. Chhattisgarh police claimed 49 Maoists had been killed in various encounters in different parts of the state till now this year, of which 33 in Bastar division that includes seven districts including Bijapur. 16 Maoists were gunned down in a month-early encounter in Raipur divisons Gariaband district.
The year 2022 saw a total of 219 Maoists being neutralized in various encounters across Chhattisgarh, reflecting continuous efforts to restore peace in the insurgency-hit areas.
