Maoists claim 35 cadres killed in October 4 encounter in Abujhmad forest

The Chhattisgarh police had earlier said that 31 Maoists, including 18 men and 13 women, were killed in the October 4 encounter in Abujhmad forest

The Maoists have claimed that 35 of their cadres were killed in the encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Abujhmad forest on October 4 – four more than the police’s assessment. Police had earlier said that 31 Maoists, including 18 men and 13 women, were killed in the encounter.

The Maoists have named all the deceased cadres and said some other cadres were injured in the encounter. (Representational image)

In a letter issued by East Bastar Division of CPI (Maoist) on Sunday, the Maoists named all the deceased cadres and said some other cadres were injured in the encounter.

The encounter had taken place on the borders of Narayanpur and Dantewada.

Senior Maoist leader, Niti alias Urmila, who was carrying a bounty of ₹25 lakh on her head --member of Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) and East Bastar in-charge of CPI (Maoist) were among the deceased. She is the fourth DKSZC member killed in an encounter this year in the state.

Police had also claimed that they had recovered one Light Machine Gun (LMG), four AK-47s, six self-loading rifles ( SLRs), three INSAS rifles, two .303 rifles, and several other calibre rifles including local weapons.

Meanwhile, Dantewada superintendent of police (SP), Gaurav Rai, has issued an appeal to the Maoists, urging them to surrender and join the mainstream.

The encounter is a major setback for the Naxal leadership as the security forces have struck deep into the outfit’s strongholds in Abujhmad forest.

So far in 2024, a total of 189 Naxalite bodies have been recovered, 706 arrested, and 733 have surrendered during anti-Naxalite operations in the Bastar division.