New Delhi:At least fourteen Maoists were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma and Bijapur districts on Saturday, marking the first major anti-Naxal action in the state this year. Twelve Maoists were eliminated in Sukma district, while two were killed during a separate operation in neighbouring Bijapur. Officials indicated that the toll could rise further as search operations in the dense forest areas are still ongoing.
The first and larger encounter took place in the Kistaram area of Sukma district. Security forces were conducting a search operation based on specific intelligence inputs about Maoist movement in the region. As the forces advanced through the forest terrain, they came under heavy fire from armed Maoists, leading to an intense exchange of gunfire that lasted several hours.
Among those believed to have been killed is Sachin Mangdu, a senior Maoist leader associated with the Konta Area Committee. There are also indications that a Maoist commander allegedly involved in the killing of Additional Superintendent of Police Akash Girpunje in Konta may have been neutralised during the same operation. Security sources suggest that several high-ranking Maoist cadres, including Divisional Committee Members, were present at the site, pointing to the possibility that the forces disrupted a key Maoist meeting or movement.
Due to the challenging terrain and ongoing combing operations, authorities said formal identification of the deceased Maoists will only be possible once the security teams return from the forest. Weapons recovered from the Sukma encounter site include AK 47 and INSAS rifles, indicating the armed strength of the group.
A second encounter took place in Bijapur district, where security personnel killed two Maoists during a separate operation. One self-loading rifle and a 12 bore firearm were recovered from that site.
Both encounters are part of an intensified anti-Naxal campaign in the Bastar region, which has seen sustained operations aimed at weakening Maoist networks. Last year, security forces killed a total of 285 Maoists in encounters across Chhattisgarh, reflecting a continued push by authorities to curb left-wing extremism in the state.
