Representative Image of Maoists-left, a Maoist monument in Bastar-right
The security forces in yet another significant operation launched in Narayanpur district have neutralised as many as five Maoists on Tuesday, July 2. The operation was launched on specific inputs in the Kohkameta forest areas of Narayanpur and was carried out by personnel from separate units of the forces leading to yet another success for the forces.
Now with the neutralisation of five Maoists in the Kohkameta, the tally of the Maoists gunned down in separate encounters in Bastar division (An administrative division of the State encompassing highly Maoist-affected districts like Bijapur, Dantewada, Sukma, Narayanpur and Kanker) has risen to 138 in this year alone.
The success achieved by the security forces in containing the Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Abujhmaad, a long-held bastion of the Maoists indicates a major turnaround for the forces who have already cornered the latter group in a limited stretch in states like Jharkhand and Orissa and were trying to breach into this stronghold of Maad since long.
As such the Organiser delved into the details of the major successful operations carried out by the security forces in Bastar division in the last three months time.
29 Maoists killed in Chotebethiya of Kanker
The first major offensive in the string of counter-insurgency operations by the forces was launched in the Binaguda-korgutta forest areas under the Chotebethiya police station limits of Kanker a district which draws the northern boundaries of Bastar on April 16.
In the fierce encounter that unfolded between the security forces and the Maoists as many as 29 Maoists including 14 female cadres of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) were killed by a joint team of District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Border Security Force (BSF).
Those killed in the encounter were carrying a whopping cumulative bounty of Rs 1.78 crore, this includes notable names like Divisional Committee Member and in-charge of CPI Maoist’s North Bastar Division, Shankar Rao and Area Committees Members, Rita Salame and Vinod Gawde.
13 killed in Lendra village of Bijapur
It must be noted that the operation in Binnaguda follows another major strike by the forces on the outlaws near Lendra village of Bijapur on April 2 which resulted in the killing of as many as 13 members of the outlawed Maoist group.
The operation which lasted for around eight hours was launched by a joint team of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) its elite unit Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) and other units of the security forces under the Gangloor police station limits of Bijapur.
Following the encounter, the joint team also seized a Light Machine Gun (LMG), shells and Barrel Grenade Launcher (BGL) in large numbers from the encounter site.
10 gunned down in Tekmeta encounter
A fortnight after the encounter in Chotebethiya, a joint team of DRG and Special Task Force (STF) of Chhattisgarh police in a major crackdown had killed as many as 10 members of the outlawed outfit in the Tekmeta forest area bordering the Maharashtra border on April 30.
Notable names among those neutralised in the encounter comprised of DVC member Joganna and Vinay alias Ashok. Additionally, a total of three female Maoist operatives were also among those killed in the operation that lasted for around nine hours.
A dozen killed in Pediya encounter in Bijapur
Almost a week after the encounter in Tekmeta, hundreds of personnel comprising of separate units of security forces launched a major offensive in the Gangloor area of Bijapur district in wee hours of May 10. The operation resulted in the killings of a dozen cadre of the CPI Maoist.
Read more at: Deputy CM Sharma slams Congress on Pediya encounter, terms allegations as baseless
The killings of the Maoists in the encounter however soon stirred a political row in the State where the opposition Indian National Congress alleged that those killed in the encounters includes of innocent villagers. The allegations labelled by the Congress party was aggressively countered by the Deputy Chief Miniser and Home Minister, Vijay Sharma who later shared the details of the cases already registered against the Maoists killed in the encounter.
22 Maoists killed in back to back encounters in Narayanpur
The encounter in Pediya followed back to back operations launched by security forces in seperates areas of Narayanpur district and adjoining bordering areas on May 23, June 7-8 and June 15 which resulted in the neutralization of as many as 22 Maoists.
The first of these series of offensive in Maad region of Narayanpur was launched in bordering areas of Bijapur and Narayanpur districts on May 23. The operation was launched following inputs of presence of senior Maoist cadres of the Indravati Area Committee of the proscribed CPI Maoist following which a major offensive comprising of around 800 personnel of DRG, STF and Bastar Fighters, a specialized unit of Chhattisgarh police trained in jungle warfare was launched in the area which eventually resulted in the killing of as many as 7 Maoists.
A fortnight later in a similar development the security forces in a separate operation neutralised another seven Maoists following an encounter between Govel and Mungedi villages of Narayanpur. A total of three DRG personnel also sustained injuries in the encounter that lasted for several hours.
A week later on June 15, a joint team of DRG, STF and Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) in an operation launched in Abujhmaad managed to gun down as many as eight cadres of the outlaws in an exchange of fire that took place between the Dhurbeda and Farasbeda area of Kutul of Narayanpur. The operation was reportedely launched on June 12 in which a Jawan of the STF also laid down his life fighting the Maoists.
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