Security Forces Eliminate 14 Naxalites in Chhattisgarh Operations

Major Naxalite Encounters in Chhattisgarh

Sukma/Bijapur, Jan 3: On Saturday, security forces successfully neutralized 14 Naxalites, including the notorious Mangtu (DVCM) and Hunga Madkam, during separate encounters in the Sukma and Bijapur districts of Chhattisgarh's Bastar region.

In Sukma, 12 Naxalites, including Mangtu, were killed during an intense firefight, while the bodies of two Maoists, including Madkam, were discovered in the forests near Gaganpalli village in Basaguda, according to senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

During the operation in Bijapur, authorities recovered one SLR rifle and a 12-bore rifle along with the remains of two Naxalites.

The firefight erupted in the southern forests of Sukma district, where security personnel were conducting an anti-Naxalite operation.

"So far, more than 10 cadres have been neutralized, and the operation is ongoing, with further updates to follow," stated an official.

In Bijapur, a gun battle occurred around 5 am in a forest area as a team from the District Reserve Guard, part of the state police, was engaged in a similar operation.

The bodies of two Naxalites were retrieved from the encounter site, and intermittent gunfire continued, with more information pending, according to officials.

Last year, a total of 285 Naxalites were killed in various confrontations with security forces in Chhattisgarh.

It is noteworthy that the central government has set a deadline of March 31, 2026, under Operation Sankalp to eradicate Naxalism from the country.

Operation Sankalp represents one of the largest counterinsurgency efforts in the Bastar region, involving approximately 24,000 security personnel from various units, including the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters, Special Task Force (STF), all state police units, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and its elite CoBRA unit.