Three cadres of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) were gunned down in an encounter with security forces in the Indravati region of Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Saturday morning. The district, located about 420 km south of Raipur, continues to witness intensified anti-Maoist operations.
According to Bastar police, acting on specific intelligence about Maoist presence along the forested terrain across the Indravati river in Bhairamgarh, a joint team launched a combing operation. The forces included personnel from the CRPF, Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), Special Task Force (STF), and the District Reserve Guard (DRG).
3 #Naxalites killed in #encounter with #SecurityForces in #Chhattisgarh‘s #Bijapurhttps://t.co/DECtfDAL52
— Economic Times (@EconomicTimes) January 12, 2025
The encounter broke out around 9 AM, leading to intermittent exchange of fire. A search operation was launched immediately afterward, resulting in the recovery of the bodies of three Maoists along with a cache of weapons and explosives. Their identities are yet to be confirmed. No injuries or casualties were reported among the security forces.
The operation is the latest addition to the long list of successful operations by security forces in the region. In 2025 so far, 138 Maoists have been eliminated in different encounters across Chhattisgarh, with 122 of them neutralized in the Bastar division alone, which includes seven insurgency-affected districts, including Bijapur.
The Union government has intensified operations under a renewed strategy aiming to eliminate Maoist influence from Chhattisgarh. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has recently declared that India would be Maoist-free by March 31, 2026. And elimination of all these Maoists tells that they would achieve the desired goal in very short time.
Earlier this year, on February 9, one of the largest offensives in the state led to the killing of 31 Maoists in uniform during a fierce gun battle near the core of Indravati National Park in Bijapur.
Bijapur remains a key stronghold for Maoists and is considered the epicenter of left-wing extremism in south Chhattisgarh.
