New Delhi:
In a significant blow to Naxalite activities, three Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Thursday, January 9, 2025. This operation comes on the heels of a devastating IED blast triggered by Naxalites on January 6, which claimed the lives of eight security personnel and a civilian in Bijapur district. The recent escalation in anti-Naxal operations is part of a broader commitment by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to eliminate Naxalism from the country by March 2026.
The encounter took place in the dense forests along the border of Sukma and Bijapur districts, where a joint team of security personnel, including the District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force, and the elite CoBRA unit of the CRPF, were conducting an anti-Naxalite operation. State Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who also holds the Home portfolio, confirmed that the bodies of the three Naxalites have been recovered and that search operations are still underway.
The incident is a stark reminder of the ongoing conflict between security forces and Naxalites in the region. The IED blast on January 6 had sparked widespread outrage and a renewed determination among security forces to combat Naxalite activities. Sharma emphasized the resolve of the security personnel, stating that with their strength and courage, the Naxal menace will be eliminated within the stipulated time.
This year alone, nine Naxalites have been killed in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh. In a recent three-day anti-Naxal operation in Abujhmad, which concluded on January 6, five Naxalites, including two women, were killed. Additionally, a Naxalite was killed in an encounter in Gariaband district on January 3. Last year, security forces neutralized 219 Naxalites in various encounters across the state.
The heightened efforts to combat Naxalism reflect a coordinated and intensified approach by the government and security forces to restore peace and stability in the affected regions.
