12 Maoists neutralised near Bijapur-Dantewada border
One of the biggest anti-Maoist offensives in recent months unfolded in the dense forests of the West Bastar Division, near the Bijapur–Dantewada inter-district border.
Twelve Maoist cadres have been killed, with security forces recovering their bodies as the joint operation, launched early Wednesday, continued deep inside known Maoist bastions.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai confirmed the killings and paid tribute to the three DRG personnel who were martyred in the encounter.
“Today, our brave security forces neutralised 12 Maoists in the ongoing anti-Naxal operation in Bijapur district. Continuous search and combing operations are underway in the area. In this encounter, Monu Waddi, Dukaru Gonde, and Ramesh Sodi made the supreme sacrifice. I pay my humble tribute to these brave soldiers,” he had said.
Sai also stated that two personnel injured in the encounter are out of danger and were provided timely medical treatment. He added that the sacrifice of the jawans would not go in vain, describing the operation’s outcome as a sign that “the end of Red Terror is now very near.”
The Bijapur superintendent of police, Jitendra Yadav, confirmed that the operation was conducted by coordinated teams of IG Sundarraj P and Bastar Range IG Sundarraj P.
According to officers, Distric Reserve Guard, Special Task Force, Central Reserve Police Force, and its CoBRA wing had been combing the region when they had come under intense Naxal fire at around 9 am. Heavy retaliatory action had followed, and intermittent gunfire persisted for hours.
Bastar Range IG later confirmed that weapons seized from the encounter site included SLR rifles, INSAS rifles, and .303 rifles, along with a cache of ammunition. The identities of those killed were not confirmed at the time of filing.
The offensive also extracted a painful cost on the forces, with three DRG personnel from Bijapur martyred and two others injured. Officials reiterated that reinforcement teams were deployed, the area is cordoned off, and search operations has been intensified to track remaining Maoist fighters.
Chhattisgarh Home Minister, Vijay Sharma, termed the losses “deeply saddening” but described the operation as a “major blow to Maoist groups.” CoBRA officials and tactical teams continued combing the sealed forest zone for remaining cadres.
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