Bijapur: In yet another success for the security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar, a total of eight Maoists were killed in an ongoing encounter with a joint team of security forces in Bijapur district.
The gunfight between the joint team and Maoists broke out near Bijapur border under Gangloor police station on Saturday morning, February 1, resulting in neutralisation of eight Maoist cadres along seizure of arms and ammunition in large quantity.
According to the information, a joint team of District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force and CoBRA unit was dispatched to the said location. The operation was launched after the police received inputs of presence of Maoists from the West Bastar division of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) in the area.
A Maoist camp was destroyed during the operation and a large number of weapons, including an Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) rifle, 12-bore rifle, and BGL Launcher, were recovered from there, officials said on Saturday.
According to officials, two District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawans sustained minor injuries during the encounter. However, the condition of the injured jawans is stable, and they are out of danger. The identification process of the members of the West Bastar division Gangaloor Area Committee, Company No. 2, and Militia Company, who were killed in the encounter, was ongoing.
#UPDATE | Chhattisgarh | 8 naxals have been killed in an ongoing encounter between security forces and Naxals in the jungle under Gangaloor PS limit. Search operations are underway: Police officials https://t.co/MRrRx9rVqF
— ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2025
Bijapur Superintendent of Police (SP), Jitendra Kumar Yadav, said that after receiving information about the presence of armed Naxal cadres in the Todka Korcholi forest area under Gangaloor police station, a joint team of DRG, Special Task Force (STF), Cobra 202 and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) 222 battalion were involved in an anti-Maoist operation that was launched on Friday.
The Maoists killed in the encounter are believed to be members of the Gangaloor Area Committee, Company No 2, and Militia Company of the West Bastar division, officials added.
Notably 16 Maoists were killed in a fierce exchange of fire that broke out in forests of Kulhadi Ghat in Gariaband district near Odisha border.
The operation, carried out jointly by the Chhattisgarh Police, CRPF, and Odisha’s Special Operations Group (SOG) also led to the recovery of a large cache of arms and ammunition, including AK-47s, SLRs, INSAS rifles, and other automatic weapons from the site.
Many top Maoist cadres including Central Committee member Chalpati alias Jairam carrying a reward of Rs90 lakhs was also killed in the encounter. Jairam a resident of Chitoor of Andhra Pradesh was also a member of Odisha State Committee of CPI (Maoist).
The other notable names killed in the encounter include of Nuapada Divisional Secretary Guddu alias Jairam and Nuapada Division Chief Satyam Gawde, both carrying a reward of Rs65 lakh each as announced by the state governments of Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
