Chh’garh: Security forces neutralise 30 Naxalites in two major encounters
Bijapur/Kanker: In a significant operation against Naxal insurgents, security forces neutralised 30 members of the banned CPI (Maoist) in two separate encounters in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region on Thursday, officials confirmed. The operations took place in Bijapur and Kanker districts, where the forces faced heavy gunfire before overpowering the insurgents.
According to officials, a fierce gun battle erupted around 7 am in a forested area along the Bijapur-Dantewada border when security personnel launched an anti-Naxal operation in the Gangaloor police station area. “A total of 26 Naxalites were eliminated, and several firearms and explosives were recovered from the site,” Bastar Range Inspector General of Police Sundarraj P stated. However, a jawan from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) lost his life in the confrontation, he added.
The second encounter took place along the Kanker-Narayanpur border, where a joint team comprising DRG and Border Security Force (BSF) personnel engaged with Naxalites in another operation. “Four Naxalites were gunned down, and automatic weapons were seized from the spot,” Kanker Superintendent of Police Indira Kalyan Elesela confirmed. Search operations continued at both locations following the encounters, police sources said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah described the twin operations as another step toward eliminating Naxalism from the country. “The Modi government is advancing with a strict approach against Naxalites and maintaining a zero-tolerance policy for those refusing to surrender despite multiple rehabilitation offers. By March 31 next year, India will be free from Naxalism,” Shah wrote on ‘X’ in Hindi.
The latest operations bring the total number of Naxalites killed in the state this year to 113, with 97 of them neutralised in the Bastar division, which includes seven districts such as Bijapur and Kanker.
Security officials have intensified counterinsurgency efforts in the region, following intelligence reports on Naxal movements.
According to a Union Home Ministry statement, a total of 104 Naxalites have been arrested and 164 have surrendered across the country in 2025. Comparatively, in 2024, security forces neutralised 290 Naxalites, arrested 1,090, and recorded 881 surrenders. Additionally, 15 senior Naxal leaders have been eliminated so far.
Government data highlights a decline in Naxal violence over the past decade. Between 2004 and 2014, India witnessed 16,463 incidents of Naxal-related violence. However, between 2014 and 2024, incidents dropped by 53 per cent to 7,744. Casualties among security personnel decreased by 73 per cent, while civilian deaths fell by 70 per cent.
Infrastructure development has also played a crucial role in countering Naxalism. In 2014, India had only 66 fortified police stations in Naxal-affected areas, a number that has since risen to 612. Similarly, the number of affected districts has fallen from 126 in 2014 to just 12 in 2024. Over the past five years, authorities have set up 302 new security camps and 68 night landing helipads to enhance operational efficiency in remote areas.
With security forces intensifying their crackdown and government policies supporting counterinsurgency operations, officials believe Naxal activities will continue to dwindle in the coming months.
