News Brief
Seven Maoists Eliminated by Security Forces in Chhattisgarh Encounter; Over 110 Left-Wing Extremists Killed So Far This Year
A Maoist rally (Wikimedia Commons)
At least seven Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces on the inter-district border of Narayanpur and Bijapur districts in Chhattisgarh on Thursday (23 May) afternoon.
On Thursday morning, security forces received information about the presence of military platoon number 16 and members of the Indravati area committee of the Maoists on the inter-state border.
Following the information, a joint team of security forces set out on an operation from different directions.
The force, comprising around 1,000 personnel, included Bastar Fighters and District Reserve Guards (DRG), led by DSP Rahul Uikey and DSP Ashish Netam, along with teams from the Special Task Force (STF).
The encounter took place within the jurisdiction of Barsur police station in Dantewada, about 10 kilometers inside the Abujhmad forest area.
The operation began around 11 am when Maoists suddenly opened fire on the forces, leading to intermittent firing that continued until evening.
As the forces advanced, they discovered the bodies of seven Maoists “dressed in the uniform of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) along with their weapons", Indian Express reported.
This marks the first significant operation in this area in around four years.
Earlier this year, security forces entered the Naxal stronghold of Abujhmad from Kanker and Narayanpur districts. On Thursday, they entered the area from Dantewada.
Abujhmad, spanning Narayanpur, Bijapur, and Dantewada, covers about 4,000 sq km, making it larger than the state of Goa.
On 16 April, forces entered Abujhmad from Kanker, resulting in the death of 29 Maoists.
Subsequently, on 30 April, they entered the Maad area from Narayanpur and killed another seven Maoists.
With this latest encounter, the total number of Maoists killed so far this year has risen to 112.
