Chhattisgarh: 12 Maoists, 3 DRG jawans killed in gunfight along Bijapur–Dantewada border

Bijapur superintendent of police Jitendra Yadav said the operation is in a “decisive phase” and that an “aggressive offensive” against Maoists is underway.

At least 12 Maoists and three District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel were killed during a gunfight in a major anti-Maoist operation that is underway in the West Bastar Division of Chhattisgarh along the Bijapur–Dantewada inter-district border, officials said.

Security forces during an anti-Maoist operation. (AFP File)

The encounter began around 9am when a joint team of Dantewada–Bijapur DRG, the Special Task Force (STF), CRPF and CoBRA commandos launched a search operation in the dense forest region.

Intermittent firing between Maoists and security personnel continued throughout the day in which another jawan also sustained injuries.

Bijapur superintendent of police Jitendra Yadav said the operation is in a “decisive phase” and that an “aggressive offensive” against Maoists is underway. Additional reinforcement teams have been rushed and the entire area has been cordoned off.

The bodies of 12 Maoist cadres have been recovered from the site of the encounter, and forces have seized SLR rifles, .303 rifles and other weapons and ammunition. The identities of those killed are yet to be established.

Three DRG Bijapur personnel — head constable Monu Vadadi and constables Dukaru Gonde and Ramesh Sodi — laid down their lives during the gunfight. Another DRG jawan — Somdev Yadav — was injured and has been administered first aid. He is said to be out of danger, while further medical arrangements have been made.

With this, the number of Maoists killed in encounters in Chhattisgarh this year has risen to 270. Of them, 241 were eliminated in the Bastar division, which includes seven districts such as Bijapur and Dantewada. Twenty-seven were killed in Gariaband district of the Raipur division, while two were neutralised in Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district in the Durg division.

Sundarraj P, inspector general of police of the Bastar Range, said the anti-Maoist campaign remains “intense and strategically driven”. He added that since the operation is still in progress, detailed information cannot be shared at this stage.

“Further information will be released at an appropriate time once the operation is complete,” Sundarraj said.