30 Naxals, policeman killed as Chhattisgarh sees twin encounters

In a fresh offensive against Naxals, the security forces killed at least 30 members of the banned CPI (Maoist) in two separate encounters in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region on Thursday, officials said.

While 26 Naxalites were killed in Bijapur district, four Maoists were gunned down in Kanker by a joint team of the BSF and District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel of the state police.

A policeman was also killed in the encounter in Bijapur, the officials said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the security forces had achieved another big success in their march to make the country Naxal-free with the two encounters.

“The Modi government is moving forward with a ruthless approach against Naxalites and is adopting a zero tolerance policy against Naxalites who are not surrendering despite all facilities being offered to them, ranging from surrender to inclusion. The country is going to be Naxal-free by March 31 next year,” Shah wrote on X in Hindi.

An official said a gunfight broke out around 7 am in a forest along the border of Bijapur and Dantewada districts when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxalite operation in the Gangaloor police station area in Bijapur.

The bodies of 26 Naxalites, besides firearms and explosives, were recovered from the spot, IGP, Bastar Range, Sundarraj P said.

A member of the DRG unit was also killed in the gunfight, he said.

Another encounter took place in the morning in a forest along the border of Kanker and Narayanpur districts when a joint team of the DRG and the BSF was out on an anti-Naxal operation, Kanker SP Indira Kalyan Elesela said.

The bodies of four Naxalites and automatic weapons were recovered following the action, he said.

Search operations were underway at both encounter sites, the police said.

With the latest action, 113 Naxalites have been killed in encounters in the state so far this year. Of them, 97 were eliminated in Bastar division comprising seven districts, including Bijapur and Kanker.