3 Naxals Killed, Commando Martyred During Intense Encounter In Maharashtra's Gadchiroli

New Delhi: In a fierce 24-hour gun battle in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district, security forces neutralized three Naxalites on Friday. The high-stakes encounter also resulted in the death of an elite police commando, while another officer sustained injuries.

The gunfight broke out in the dense forests of Gadchiroli during a large-scale counter-insurgency operation. Acting on precise intelligence, the Maharashtra Police’s elite C-60 commando unit launched the strike to intercept Naxalite activity in the region.

Major security operation

Acting on precise intelligence received on Tuesday evening, a major security operation was launched near Phodewada village, situated on the Gadchiroli-Narayanpur border. The mission, led by the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) for Bhamragad, deployed 14 units of the elite C-60 commando force.

The primary target of the operation was a group of insurgents belonging to Company No. 10 of the banned CPI (Maoist), whose presence in the area had been confirmed by local scouts.

Deepak Chinna attained martyrdom

In a tragic turn of events during the ongoing anti-Naxal operation in the Abujhmarh forests, 38-year-old C-60 commando Deepak Chinna Madavi has attained martyrdom. 

A resident of Aheri, Madavi was airlifted from the dense jungle to the Bhamragad Sub-District Hospital early this morning but unfortunately succumbed to injuries sustained during the firefight.

Another commando, Joga Madavi (resident of Kishtyapalli), was also wounded in the line of duty after sustaining a gunshot injury overnight. He has been successfully evacuated to Bhamragad and is reported to be out of danger as he will soon be airlifted to Gadchiroli for further medical care.

Meanwhile, combing and search operations were continuing in the area to ensure that no other armed cadres were hiding in the dense terrain.

Further details about recoveries and the exact circumstances leading to the firefight are awaited.

Decline of Left Wing Extremism

On Tuesday, the central government shared significant data in the Lok Sabha highlighting the decline of Left Wing Extremism (LWE). Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, reported that since 2019, security forces have arrested over 7,400 Naxalites, while 5,880 others have surrendered.

The data reveals a dramatic 88% drop in violence, with annual incidents falling from 1,936 in 2010 to just 234 in 2025. 

In the last year alone, 364 Naxalites were neutralized. Once a widespread threat, the insurgency is now confined to a few isolated pockets; the number of affected districts has plummeted from 126 in 2018 to only eight as of December 2025, with only three districts now classified as "most impacted."

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