Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Feb 9 (UNI): At least 31 Maoists were killed and two others injured in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district here on Sunday morning, police said.
Bastar Inspector General of Police (IG) P Sundar Raj also confirmed the death of 31 Maoists in the encounter.
The encounter broke out in the forest area of Indravati National Park on the border of Maharashtra with Bijapur and Narayanpur on Sunday morning when a team of security personnel was on an anti-Naxal operation, they said.
Giving details of the whole case and the encounter, . Sundarraj said that on the information of the presence of Maoists in the National Park area of district Bijapur, Bijapur DRG, STF and joint force were dispatched. During this operation on Sunday, there were several encounters between Maoists and security forces. A total of 31 bodies of Maoists have been recovered so far after the encounter.
IG Sundararaj said that four security forces personnel were also seriously injured during the encounter, who were admitted to the hospital for treatment. Two of them succumbed to their injuries during treatment. Among those killed are a DRG and an STF soldier. The condition of the other two injured jawans is out of danger and they have been referred to the Higher Center for better treatment.
In Chhattisgarh, an encounter with security forces was going on in Bijapur district since this morning, first 12 Naxals were killed, which increased to 31 Naxals.
Meanwhile, the IG said that in the year 2025 so far, bodies of 65 Maoists have been recovered in different encounters.
Bastar police said a search operation was underway in the area. In Chhattisgarh, the force personnel are getting continuous success in the anti-Naxal operation being run to eliminate Naxalism. Especially the new year has brought a whirlwind of death for them. Under the pressure of the force, the Naxalites are constantly changing their hideout and are being killed in encounters. The speed with which the Naxalites are being killed and surrendering, it seems that Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s target can be fulfilled even before time. He has set a target of making Naxal free on 31 March 2026.
Will make India Naxal-free by March 2026: Shah
Amit Shah said on X that the security forces achieved a big success at Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, in the direction of making India Naxal-free.
Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah on Sunday condoled the death of several soldiers in the effort to end Naxalism, saying that India would remain indebted to these martyrs. Amit Shah had also expressed the country’s resolve to eradicate Naxalism from the country before March 31, 2026.
In a post on X, Amit Shah said, “In the direction of making India Naxal-free, the security forces have achieved a big success in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh. In this operation, 31 Naxalites were killed and a huge amount of arms and explosives were also recovered. Today we have lost two of our brave soldiers in the effort to end anti-human Naxalism. This country will always be indebted to these heroes.”
The Home Minister asserted that necessary steps would be taken end Naxalism completely so that no citizen will lose his life due to this problem. “I express my heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyred soldiers. I also reiterate my resolve that before 31 March 2026, we will completely eradicate Naxalism from the country, so that no citizen of the country has to lose his life due to it,” he said.
In January last year, Amit Shah expressed a similar resolve for achieving a Naxal-free India. Responding to an anti-Naxal operation at that time, Amit Shah said on X, “Another mighty blow to Naxalism. Our security forces achieved major success towards building a Naxal-free Bharat. The CRPF, SoG Odisha, and Chhattisgarh Police neutralised 14 Naxalites in a joint operation along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border. With our resolve for a Naxal-free India and the joint efforts of our security forces, Naxalism is breathing its last today.”
