Chhattisgarh Encounter Update: 30 Naxals, Jawan Killed In Bijapur, Kanker Encounters; 113 Maoists Eliminated This Year

Chhattisgarh Encounter Update:In a massive action against Naxals, security forces on Thursday killed at least 30 members of the banned CPI (Maoists) in two separate encounters in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region. The officials stated that while 26 Naxalites were killed in Bijapur district, four of them were gunned down in Kanker by a joint team of the BSF and District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel of the state police.

However, the officials also stated that a police jawan was also killed in the joint operation against Naxals. While praising the efforts of security forces, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that the security forces have achieved another big success against the Naxals.

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"The Modi government is moving forward with a ruthless approach against Naxalites and is adopting a zero-tolerance policy against those Naxalites who are not surrendering despite all the facilities being offered to them, ranging from surrender to inclusion. The country is going to be Naxal-free by March 31 next year," Shah wrote on X in Hindi.

While providing details, an official stated that a gunfight broke out around 7 am in a forest along the border of Bijapur and Dantewada districts when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxalite operation in the Gangaloor police station area in Bijapur.

The bodies of 26 Naxalites, besides firearms and explosives, were recovered from the spot, Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range Sundarraj P was quoted as saying by PTI. He further informed that a jawan of the DRG unit was also killed in the gunfight.

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Apart from this, another encounter took place in the morning in a forest along the border of Kanker and Narayanpur districts when a joint team of the DRG and Border Security Force (BSF) was out on an anti-Naxal operation, Kanker Superintendent of Police Indira Kalyan Elesela said.

With the latest action, 113 Naxalites have been killed in encounters in the state so far this year. Of them, 97 were eliminated in the Bastar division, comprising seven districts, including Bijapur and Kanker.