Bijapur: In the biggest blow to the Maoist insurgency in the Bastar region this year, security forces killed 18 Naxalites in a fierce encounter in the dense Keshkutul forests of Bijapur district.
After six more bodies were recovered from the encounter site on Thursday morning, the death toll rose to 18 from initial reports of 12.
The encounter began on Wednesday when a joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), CRPF’s CoBRA commandos, and local police launched an anti-Naxal operation in the Gangalore police station area based on specific intelligence.
Maoists from the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Company No. 2, Bhairamgarh Area Committee, and Gangalore Area Committee opened heavy fire on the advancing troops, leading to a fierce gunfight that lasted several hours. Despite being outnumbered and facing threats from automatic weapons and IEDs, security forces retaliated effectively and killed 18 Maoists on the spot.
A large cache of weapons and explosives was recovered along with all the bodies.
The dead Naxalites are being identified, and Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Singh Meena said their names and ranks will be disclosed once the process is complete.
A massive search operation is underway in the surrounding forests to locate any escaped cadres.
Tragically, three brave soldiers lost their lives in the line of duty. Head Constable Monu Mohan Baddi, Constable Dukaru Gonde (posthumously promoted to the rank of Head Constable), and District Reserve Guard Jawan Ramesh Sodi displayed great courage and made the supreme sacrifice.
Their bodies were brought to Bijapur headquarters on Thursday, where they were paid a heartfelt tribute at the Police Line Shaheed Vatika on the Bijapur-Gangalur Road.
Senior officers, soldiers, and local residents laid flowers and observed a two-minute silence in honor of the martyrs.
This successful operation marks another major milestone for the Chhattisgarh Police and Central forces in their ongoing campaign against left-wing extremism in the region.
