12 Maoists killed in gunfight with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur

Police also recovered 12 arms, including a Barrel Grenade Launcher (BGL) launcher, one 12-bore rifle and muzzle-loading rifles from the incident spot

Bastar: Twelve Maoists were killed in gunfight with Chhattisgarh Police and security personnel in Bijapur district on Friday, officials aware of the matter said. 

(Representative Photo)

Officials said that the gunfight took place in a forest near Pidia village under Gangaloor police station limits when a team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxal operation.

Police also recovered 12 arms, including a  Barrel Grenade Launcher (BGL) launcher, one 12-bore rifle and muzzle-loading rifles from the incident spot. The bodies of the Maoists are yet to be identified, said officials. 

According to officials, a joint team of state police, including the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), Bastariya Batallion and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and its elite guerilla unit Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) was out for operation on Thursday night. 

“The operation was planned following intelligence input from a prominent Maoist leader located in the forests of Pida, approximately 55 kilometres from the district headquarters of Bijapur. 12 bodies of Maoists have recovered so far from the encounter site and the combing operation will continue,” said deputy inspector general of police, South Bastar, Kamalochan Kashyap.

The gunfight started at around 9am and lasted till 5pm on Friday, he added.  

On April 16, the security forces gunned down 29 Naxalites in an encounter in the Kanker district of the state. 

Including the recent killings, overall, 99 Maoists have been killed in the first four months of 2024 alone in gunfights with the security forces. Meanwhile, in counter-reaction from the Maoists, 21 civilians were killed by the insurgents in 2024, and 41 civilians were killed in 2023. 

Deputy chief minister and state home minister Vijay Sharma congratulated the team and said, “In the last month, a series of encounters were carried out by security forces. This time, the encounter took place in the jungles of Pidia. It was a successful encounter in Bijapur and I congratulate the security forces for the success.” 

He added that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has a clear policy about the Maoists.  

“We are ready for talks with Maoists and we want the youths to put down their arms and take part in development activities. We want development in the interior villages of Bastar and if the Maoists will not lay their arms they will be removed from Bastar,” said Sharma. 

RK Vij, former director general of police, Chhattisgarh, said that the continuous encounter in the deep jungles of Bastar will have a deep adverse impact on the recruitment of Maoists.  

“Pidia was once a hotbed of Maoists in Bastar. Senior leaders of Maoists used to conduct meetings here. Security forces conducting an operation in that jungle is a big achievement. I believe that these encounters will surely have an adverse impact on the recruitment drive of Maoists,” said Vij.