Chhattisgarh Security Forces Neutralize Three Maoists in Sukma Encounter

Maoist Encounter in Sukma District

Raipur/Sukma, Dec 18: Security personnel successfully eliminated three Maoists, including a female member, during a confrontation in the hilly forests near Golapalli police station in Sukma district on Thursday morning, according to police reports.

The operation was spearheaded by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) following credible intelligence regarding the presence of Maoist elements in the vicinity.

Sukma's Superintendent of Police, Kiran G. Chavan, confirmed that gunfire erupted intermittently as the DRG team surrounded a forested hill, resulting in the neutralization of the three insurgents. The bodies of the deceased, including the woman, were retrieved from the encounter site, and efforts are ongoing to search for any further threats or recoveries, the officer noted.

This incident adds to a series of successful anti-Naxal operations within the state, with a total of 284 Maoists reported killed in encounters across Chhattisgarh in 2025 thus far.

The Bastar division, which includes seven districts such as Sukma, accounts for 255 of these fatalities, underscoring the intensified operations in the heart of the insurgency-affected areas.

Just a day prior, on December 17, 11 Maoists, including five women with a combined bounty of Rs 37 lakh, surrendered in the neighboring Narayanpur district, influenced by government initiatives like the "Maad Bachao Abhiyan" (Save Maad Campaign) and "Poona Margem - From Surrender to Rehabilitation."

They surrendered at the Superintendent of Police's office, indicating a growing disillusionment among lower-ranking cadres.

Officials credit these developments to the relentless pressure from security forces and rehabilitation programs, which have diminished Maoist strongholds in the Bastar region.

Each surrendered Maoist received an immediate reward of Rs 50,000 and will benefit from the Chhattisgarh government's rehabilitation policy. This brings the total number of Maoist surrenders in Narayanpur district alone to 298 in 2025, reflecting a decline in Maoist influence and an increasing trust in peace and development initiatives.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set a target to eradicate the Maoist threat in the country by March 2026.