14 Maoists Killed In Separate Encounters In Chhattisgarh’s Sukma & Bijapur

Bijapur/Sukma: At least 14 Maoists were killed in separate encounters by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma and Bijapur districts on Saturday, marking the first encounter between Maoists and the security forces this year.

In Bijapur district, two Maoists were killed during an ongoing anti-Naxal operation in the southern forested belt. Acting on intelligence inputs about the presence of armed Maoists, a search operation was launched by a team of the DRG in the South Bastar region. According to police officials, intermittent firing between security forces and Maoists began around 5 am.

“The bodies of two Maoists have been recovered from the encounter site during the search operation,” a senior police official said, adding that the operation is still underway.

Authorities said details such as the exact location of the encounter and the strength of the deployed force are being withheld for security reasons. A detailed report will be released after the operation concludes.

Meanwhile, in Sukma district, security forces killed a dozen Maoists in a separate encounter. Among those killed was Mangdu, the secretary of the Konta area committee, a senior Maoist leader. Automatic weapons were also recovered from the encounter site.

P Sundarraj, Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, said sustained intelligence-based operations and coordinated action by multiple security forces have significantly weakened Maoist networks in the region. He noted that 2025 proved to be a decisive year for anti-Maoist operations, with several senior cadres either killed, arrested or surrendering, and large quantities of arms recovered.

"The year 2025 has been a historic and decisive year marked by significant achievements on the fronts of security, peace, service, justice, and development. As a result of precise and timely intelligence-based anti-Maoist operations, effective area domination, and strong coordination among various security forces, decisive control over Naxalite activities has been established. The large-scale recovery of weapons, along with the surrender and successful rehabilitation of senior Maoist cadres, has laid a strong foundation for lasting peace in the region," Sundarraj said.

The latest encounters come amid intensified operations against Maoists, ahead of the March 2026 deadline set by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to eliminate left-wing extremism from the country.

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