At least six Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Tuesday. Police have recovered automatic weapons, including an INSAS rifle, a Sten gun, a .303 rifle, explosives, and Maoist literature from the site of the gunfight.
The encounter broke out around 10 am in the National Park area of Bijapur district when a joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) from Bijapur and Dantewada and the Special Task Force (STF) launched a search operation based on intelligence inputs about Maoist presence in the dense forest region.
According to Superintendent of Police (SP) Bijapur, Dr Jitendra Yadav, the exchange of fire between security forces and Maoists has been continuing intermittently since morning.
"The joint teams of DRG Bijapur, DRG Dantewada, and STF were conducting a search operation when the encounter began around 10 am on November 11. So far, the bodies of six Maoists, along with automatic weapons, explosives, and Maoist literature, have been recovered from the spot," SP Yadav said.
Officials said additional reinforcements have been sent to the area to prevent the escape of other Maoist cadres who may be hiding in nearby forests.
Inspector General (IG) of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj P, described the operation as a major breakthrough for the security forces. "The elimination of six hardcore Maoist cadres in today's encounter marks a decisive and significant gain for the security forces. This success comes at a time when the Maoist organisation is leaderless, directionless, and struggling with low morale, confined to a few remaining hideouts," IG Sundarraj said.
He added that teams from DRG, STF, Bastar Fighters, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) have been deployed in adjoining regions to track down and corner other Maoist cadres. "Since the operation is still ongoing, the exact location, strength of the force, and other sensitive details cannot be disclosed at this time to ensure the safety of personnel engaged in the field," IG Sundarraj said.
The encounter comes amid a series of intensified anti-Maoist operations across the Bastar region in recent months, where security forces have targeted remaining Maoist strongholds in Chhattisgarh's Sukma, Bijapur, Dantewada, and Narayanpur districts.
Authorities said the current operation could further weaken Maoist influence in the area, which has been a longtime insurgent corridor between south Bastar and the Andhra Pradesh border.
The bodies of the dead Maoists are being identified, and a detailed search operation is still underway in and around the encounter site.
