22 Maoists Killed in Two Encounters in Bastar: 18 in Bijapur, 4 in Kanker; Firing Continues
Raipur
Security forces eliminated 22 Maoists in two separate encounters in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, according to police. 18 Maoists were killed in Bijapur and 4 in Kanker. The forces have recovered the bodies along with automatic weapons. Meanwhile, one District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawan was martyred.
Security forces have penetrated the Maoist stronghold on the Bijapur-Dantewada border, where they have surrounded senior Maoist cadres. Gunfire was still ongoing on both sides, according to Bastar IG Sundarraj P confirmed the operation.
In a separate incident, two security personnel were injured in an IED blast in the Thulthuli area on the Narayanpur-Dantewada border. Both are reported to be out of danger, and a search operation is underway.
According to police, 71 Maoists have been killed in Chhattisgarh so far in 2024. Security forces have neutralized nearly 300 Maoists in various encounters this year and seized 290 weapons.
Police had received intelligence that a large number of Maoists were present in Gangloor. Acting on this, security forces launched a joint operation on the Dantewada-Bijapur border. A day before the encounter, security forces cordoned off the Andri region, and on Thursday morning, heavy gunfire broke out.
Bijapur SP Jitendra Yadav stated that the encounter is still ongoing, and a clear picture will emerge once it concludes. Dantewada SP Gaurav Rai confirmed that security personnel had moved out from Hiroli, and gunfire was continuing.
On February 9, in a massive operation involving over 1,000 security personnel, 31 Maoists were gunned down in the Indravati National Park area of Bijapur. Security forces recovered all the bodies. However, one DRG and one STF jawan were martyred in the operation.
