In one of the largest operations by security forces in Chhattisgarh, as many as 29 Naxalites have been killed and their bodies were recovered on Tuesday in the Kanker area. This figure can go up as the search operation is still on, Chhattisgarh Police said.
Of the 29 Maoists, more than a dozen were women who were wielding deadly weapons and trying to protect the men when forces attacked them.
Three security personnel, including two Border Security Force jawans and one personnel of the state police’s District Reserve Guard (DRG), have suffered injuries.
According to officials, if the figure crosses 30 casualties from the Naxals’ side, this would be the largest operation by forces in the past 10 years. Before this, Greyhound commandos had eliminated 30 Naxalites in an operation in 2016. In another operation in 2021, top Naxal leader Milind Teltumbde along with 25 others was eliminated.
However, this would be the first operation in which a large number of Naxals were eliminated with no casualties from the security forces’ side.
“On April 16, a search operation by a joint team comprising of Kanker DRG and BSF was launched in the Chhottebetiya police station limit area in Kanker district. At around 2 pm, there was an exchange of fire between Maoists and security forces near Binagunda-Koragutta jungles of the Chhottebetiya Police station area,” Chhatisgarh police said.
“After the encounter, the area was searched and 29 Naxals dead bodies along with a huge cache of AK 47 rifle, INSAS, SLR/Carbine, .303 rifles and huge quantities of arms ammunitions recovered from the spot,” it said.
Three jawans, who were injured in the operation, are out of danger.
Officials said that so far 3 SLRs, 1 AK-47, 2 pistols, and 2 INSAS have been recovered.
“We shared five inputs, including two inputs giving exact location (one input with GR also) of the north Bastar DVC Maoists in Binagunda area underlining the fact that it acted like a permanent camp of the Maoists since April 5,” an official said.
According to the police, top Naxals Shankar Rao, who had a reward of Rs 25 lakh on his head, and Lalita (both DVCMs, North Bastar Division) are believed to be amongst those killed in the operation.
This is one of the biggest anti-naxal operations in the area, according to Bastar IG P Sunddaraj.
“All naxalites killed in the operation were from the north Bastar division. The operation was launched after information of the presence of senior naxals Shankar, Lalita, and Raju in the area,” he said.
After the latest encounter, 79 Naxalites have been killed in separate gun battles with security forces in the Bastar region, comprising seven districts, including Kanker, so far this year.
The operation against Naxalites comes three days ahead of the first phase of the Lok Sabha election 2024. While Kanker will vote on April 26, the Naxal hotbed of Bastar will vote on April 19.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated the security forces on the success of the operation and called Naxalism the “biggest enemy of development.”
In a post on X, he wrote, “Today, a large number of Naxalites have been killed in the operation of security forces in Chhattisgarh. I congratulate all the security personnel who made this operation successful with their bravery and wish for the speedy recovery of the brave policemen who have been injured. Naxalism is the biggest enemy of development, peace and a bright future of youth.”
“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are determined to free the country from the scourge of Naxalism. Due to the offensive policy of the government and the efforts of the security forces, Naxalism has been confined to a small area today. Soon Chhattisgarh and the entire country will be completely Naxal-free,” the Home Minister added.
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