Chhattisgarh: 31 Naxalites, 2 cops killed in encounter in Bijapur

Security forces on Sunday (February 9) shot dead 31 Maoists during a fierce encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district in which two security personnel also lost their lives and as many were injured.

More than 650 security personnel entered the Indravati National Park area from different sides and eliminated 31 Maoists in their den, Chhattisgarh’s Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma told the media.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said the end of left-wing extremism in the country and the state was certain. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the state will get rid of such extremism by March 2026, he added.

Also read: How a selfie with wife proved fatal for top Maoist

81 Maoists killed in 40 days

With this incident, 81 Maoists have been shot dead by security forces in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh so far this year.

The latest gunfight took place at a forest in Indravati National Park area in the morning when a joint team of personnel from different security forces was out on an anti-Naxalite operation, Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj P said.

Personnel belonging to the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), and Bastar Fighters, all units of the state police, were involved in the operation, he said.

Insurgents in uniform

Also read: Chhattisgarh | 14 Naxalites, including one with Rs 1 crore bounty, killed in encounter

“So far, bodies of 31 Naxalites clad in ‘uniform’ have been recovered from the encounter site. Besides, a huge cache of weapons, including AK-47, INSAS, SLR and .303 rifles and Barrel Grenade Launchers (BGL), and explosives have also been seized from the site,” an official told news agency PTI.

Two security personnel, one belonging to the state DRG and the other from the STF, were killed in the gunfight and two others suffered injuries, he said.

The two injured jawans, reported to be out of danger, were being airlifted to a better medical facility for treatment, he said.

Reinforcement has been rushed to the spot and search operation is still underway in the area, the official added.

Elimination of ‘cancer’

CM Sai said in a statement that the end of Maoism, which is like “cancer”, from the country and the state is certain.

“The sacrifice of our soldiers will not go in vain. I pray to God for the departed souls to rest in peace and provide strength to the bereaved families, and for the speedy recovery of the injured jawans,” Sai said.

Hailing the security forces, Deputy CM Vijay Sharma said the national park area in Bijapur was considered as a safe haven for Maoist, where more than 650 security personnel entered from different sides and eliminated 31 Maoists in their den.

Also read: Maoist leader Chalapati with Rs 1 crore bounty gunned down in Chhattisgarh

‘Government working with full commitment’

All the deceased Maoists were clad in uniform, and automated weapons were recovered from them, he told reporters.

“Two of our jawans were martyred in the operation. I pay homage to them and pray to God to give strength to their families. The Vishnu Deo Sai government will always stand by their families. Two injured jawans have been airlifted (to Raipur),” he said.

Asked about the deadline of March 2026 to end Maoism, Sharma said, “Under the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and CM Sai, the target will be achieved.”

Sharma said the government was working with full commitment to ensure that basic amenities such as schools, hospitals, water, road, Anganwadis (government-run women and child care centres), and mobile towers reach the entire region.

219 Maoists neutralised last year

Of the 81 Maoists shot dead in the state so far this year, 65 were killed in the Bastar division comprising seven districts, including Bijapur.

Last year, 219 Maoists were neutralised by security forces in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh, according to police.

On October 4 last year, 38 Maoists were killed following an encounter in Abhujmaad area along the Narayanpur-Dantewada inter-district border in the Bastar region.

(With agency inputs)