Six Maoists Killed In Chhattisgarh's Abujhmad Amid Centre’s Push to Eliminate Left-Wing Extremism By 2026

Six Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces on Friday (19 July) in the dense forests of Abujhmad, located in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district, the Indian Express reported.

The gunfight reportedly erupted in the afternoon at an undisclosed location during a search operation launched by joint security teams, acting on specific intelligence inputs.

Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj P, confirmed the casualties and recovery of weapons.

“So far, six bodies have been recovered. Weapons, including AK 47 rifle and SLR rifle recovered so far. The dead Maoists are being identified,” the IGP was quoted as saying by IE.

He added that the operation was still ongoing and, in order to ensure the safety of the personnel involved, further details could not be disclosed.

Rising Maoist Casualty Count in 2025

With this latest encounter, the total number of Maoists killed in Chhattisgarh in 2025 has reached 221, of which 204 were in the Bastar region. This surpasses last year’s toll of 219, including 217 from Bastar.

Centre's Push to End Left-Wing Extremism

The encounter follows Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Chhattisgarh in June to review anti-Maoist operations.

Shah reaffirmed the government's target to eliminate Left-Wing Extremism by March 2026.

Addressing the public during his visit, Shah had said, “I want to say this to the people of Chhattisgarh before I go… Every year during the rainy season, Naxals used to get some rest. But this time, we will not allow them to sleep even during the rains, and will move forward to achieve our March 2026 goal.”

Operations Continue

Security forces remain deployed in the area, and search operations are ongoing. Further updates are expected as the situation develops.

A Persistent Threat to India’s Internal Security

Left-Wing Extremism has been a growing concern for India’s sovereignty and peace for decades.

Rooted in Maoist ideology, this movement, commonly referred to as the Naxalite insurgency, has posed a persistent internal security challenge since the late 1960s.

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