30 Maoists killed in twin Chhattisgarh encounters
At least 30 Maoists and a policeman were killed in Chhattisgarh during encounters, marking over 100 rebel deaths this year.
At least 30 Maoists and a policeman were killed in twin encounters in the Bijapur and Kanker districts of Chhattisgarh on Thursday, officers aware of the matter said — action that takes the number of rebels killed in the state this year across the 100-mark amid an uptick in anti-Left Wing Extremism (LWE) operations.
The Bijapur gunfight broke out at around 7am after a joint team of nearly 1,500personnel from the Bijapur and Sukma District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) launched a search operation in a jungle along the district’s border with the neighbouring Dantewada.
“The bodies of 26 Naxalites were recovered from the spot. A large number of AK-47 rifles, as well as automatic and semi-automatic weapons, have also been seized. One jawan of the Bijapur DRG also lost his life during the encounter,” Bastar IGP Sundarraj P said. The deceased jawan was later identified as Raju Oyami.
Around 200 kmaway, an encounter broke out in a forest along the border of Kanker and Narayanpur districts around 8am when a joint team of the DRG and Border Security Force (BSF), consisting of 700personnel, was out on an anti-Maoist operation, Kanker Superintendent of Police (SP) Indira Kalyan Elesela said.
“The bodies of four Naxalites and automatic weapons were recovered from the spot. We have recovered an automatic rifle which means that there is a senior cadre among the deceased Maoists. A search operation is underway” he said.
The two encounters were part of a series of successful anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh in a year. Since December 2023, there has been a clear uptick in aggression from security forces, as part of the central government’s target to end LWE by March 31, 2026. Last year, security forces killed 219 Maoists in the state, much higher than the 22 killed in 2023 and the 30 in 2022. So far, 113 Maoists have been killed this year. Security forces have also arrested 104 rebels in different parts of the country so far in 2025 and another 164 have surrendered, according to a ministry of home affairs statement.
“The Modi government is moving forward with a ruthless approach against Naxalites and is adopting a zero-tolerance policy against those Naxalites who are not surrendering despite all the facilities being offered to them, ranging from surrender to inclusion. The country is going to be Naxal-free by March 31 next year,” Union home minister Amit Shah said in a post on X.
The Bastar division, which includes seven districts — Bastar, Dantewada, Bijapur, Kanker, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, and Sukma — forms the epicentre of Maoist insurgency. The government has deployed thousands of forces to battle the rebels across the insurgent-dominated region known as the “Red Corridor”. The string of high-profile encounters is aimed at pushing back extremists, taking over their jungle hideouts and crippling their fortifications. The most killings have occurred in Bijapur this year.
The encounters are part of a broader government offensive against the Maoists, which also includes construction of roads and unveiling of various developmental projects in areas that were once plagued by LWE. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to visit the state on March 30, during which he is likely to unveil a host of infrastructure projects and meet the families of those affected by Maoist violence.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai hailed the operations as a significant achievement in the fight against Maoism, according to an official statement. “The battle against Maoism in Chhattisgarh is continuing with full strength and will not stop until the state is completely free from Naxal influence. The sacrifices of brave soldiers will never be forgotten,” the statement quoted him as saying.
As part of the anti-LWE efforts, forces have created 17 new forward camps in what were thus far thought to be core Maoist-controlled areas. This includes areas inside Abhujmad, a 4,000 square kilometre expanse of forests that straddles Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. Abhujhmad is an amalgamation of the Gondi words “Abujh” and “Maad” which translates to the “hills of the unknown” — an area that is yet unmapped by the government of India.
Several attempts at conducting preliminary surveys in the region have taken place since 2017, but each has been stymied by the extremely difficult geography, complete lack of infrastructure, and heavy Maoist fortification. It is because of this administrative vacuum that most security officers in Bastar refer to the area as the “last bastion of the Maoists”, where the most senior cadre, including the politburo and the central committee, of the CPI (Maoist) take refuge through the year.
“This is a big success for the soldiers. Ever since our government was formed, we have been working towards eliminating the Naxalites. This success was made possible by the strength of our security forces,” Chhattisgarh deputy chief minister Vijay Sharma said.
