At least 15 Maoists were killed by the security forces in an alleged encounter on Wednesday amid an intensive drive in the Karegutta hills region of Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh, according to police officials.
This comes as many, including left organisations and rights activists, urge the state to stop the killings and resume talks with the Maoists.
The combing operation is part of the ongoing Operation Sankalp, which was initiated on April 21. Until Tuesday, four suspected Maoists had reportedly been neutralised, but the latest exchange marks a significant escalation in the campaign.
Police sources estimated the latest death toll to be between 15 and 18, noting that the numbers could rise as the search efforts continue.
“Today, good operational outcomes are expected in the ongoing Operation Sankalp. All security forces are safe and fully committed to ensuring a safe and secure Bastar region,” said a senior police official.
With this recent development, the number of Maoists allegedly killed in the state this year has surpassed 150, marking a high-intensity year in the state’s long-standing anti-Naxal operations.
Among those killed in the operation was a woman Maoist, whose identity is yet to be established. The encounter occurred on Monday night in the forested Karregutta terrain near the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border.
Inspector General of Police (Bastar range), Sunderaj O, confirmed the incident stating, the encounter took place on Monday night in the dense forests surrounding the Karregutta hills along the Chattisgarh – Telangana border.
Following the clash, security personnel recovered a .303 rifle from the scene. This marks the fourth female Maoist combatant killed in the region since the launch of the operation.
Earlier, on April 24, three female Naxals were shot dead in the same area, during which authorities seized a considerable quantity of arms, explosives, and other logistics materials.
Described as one of the largest counter-Maoist offensives to date in the Bastar region, Operation Sankalp is spearheaded by a joint force comprising nearly 24,000 personnel from multiple agencies. These include the Chhattisgarh Police’s District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters, the Special Task Force (STF), the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and its specialized Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA).
The current mission was launched based on actionable intelligence regarding the movement of top Maoist leaders, including high-ranking members of the Telangana state committee and cadres from the powerful ‘battalion number 1’, widely considered the Maoist outfit’s most formidable military division.
Police revealed that the Karregutta hill range is a major base for this battalion. As per intelligence assessments, several senior Maoist operatives are believed to have either died or sustained serious injuries during the course of the ongoing operation.
So far, the forces have demolished numerous Maoist bunkers and safehouses, while recovering significant caches of explosives, detonators, essential supplies, and food materials.
Although six personnel from the STF, DRG, and CoBRA units were wounded in separate pressure IED blasts, police confirmed that all are in stable condition and out of danger.
