6 women among 9 Naxals gunned down in Bastar; toll at 153 in Chhattisgarh so far in 2024

PTI, Sep 3, 2024, 7:41 PM IST

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Dantewada: Nine Naxalites, including six women, were killed in a fierce encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region on Tuesday, a top police official said, in the latest offensive against Maoists which has gathered pace after a change of government last year.

The gunfight broke out at around 10:30 am in forests along the border of Dantewada and Bijapur districts when a joint team of security forces was out on anti-Naxal operation, Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj P told PTI.

Personnel belonging to the state police’s District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters and 111th and 230th battalions of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were involved in the operation.

The operation was launched on Monday night based on inputs about the presence of cadres belonging to Maoists’ PLGA (People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army) Company No. 2, west Bastar and Darbha division on the hills of inter-district border, he said.

The exchange of fire between Naxalites and security personnel took place multiple times in forests near Lohagaon, Purangel and Andri villages under the Kirandul Police Station area (Dantewada district). After the guns fell silent, bodies of nine Naxalites, including six women — all clad in ‘uniform’ — were recovered from the spot, informed the senior IPS officer.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai hailed security forces for their latest success against Maoists and asserted his government has resolved to end the Left-wing extremism by March 2026.

A cache of weapons, including one SLR (Self-Loading Rifle), one 303 rifle, 12 bore rifle, 315 bore rifle, BGLs (barrel grenade launchers) and explosives, items of daily use and other Maoist-related materials were recovered from the spot, IPS officer Sundarraj said.

After the latest offensive, 153 Naxalites have been gunned down in separate encounters in the Bastar division, comprising seven districts — Kanker, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Bastar, Bijapur, Dantewada and Sukma — so far this year, he said.

During the same period, 669 Naxalites have been arrested, while 656 others have surrendered before police in the division, the officer added.

Preliminary investigation suggests the slain cadres belonged to the west Bastar division committee and PLGA Company No. 2 of Maoists, but their identity was yet to be ascertained, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai said.

Blood stains found at the encounter site indicate several other Naxalites may have been injured or killed in the gunfight, Rai said, adding reinforcement was sent to the spot for conducting further search operation.

Hailing security forces involved in anti-Naxal operations, Chief Minister Sai said after the BJP government assumed office in Chhattisgarh (in December last year), it has been fighting resolutely against Left-wing extremism in the state.

“After the formation of the BJP government, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the state and boosted the morale of security forces as a result of which the fight against the menace has been intensified in the last 7-8 months. Naxalite footprint has been shrinking and soon it will be wiped out from the state,” the CM told PTI Videos.

Home Minister Shah has highlighted the Union government’s resolve to eliminate Naxalism by March 2026, he said.

“We have been getting the benefit of ‘double-engine’ government (BJP rule in state and at the Centre). I salute the courage and valour of our jawans who have been fighting bravely against the Naxal menace,” he added.