GUWAHATI: Security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region reportedly launched a series of anti-Maoist operations on Thursday, March 20 resulting in the deaths of at least 30 members of the banned CPI (Maoist). The operations, conducted in two separate locations, were part of an intensified crackdown on left-wing extremism.
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According to Bastar police, a joint team of security personnel acted on specific intelligence and launched an operation early in the morning. Around 7 AM, a fierce encounter erupted in the dense forests along the Bijapur-Dantewada inter-district border, leading to the elimination of at least 26 Naxalites. However, a District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawan from Bijapur was killed in the exchange of gunfire.
This operation follows a similar one conducted over a month ago in Bijapur’s Indravati National Park, where 31 Maoists and two security personnel lost their lives.
State Home Minister Vijay Sharma confirmed that security teams have so far recovered 18 bodies, and search operations are ongoing. "Our forces have achieved a significant victory, neutralising 18 insurgents and retrieving their bodies. Sadly, we lost a DRG jawan in the operation. Gunfights and search missions are still in progress," he stated. A substantial cache of weapons and explosives was also seized from the site.
Meanwhile, in a separate encounter in Kanker district’s Abujhmad jungle, a joint team of Border Security Force (BSF) and DRG killed four more Maoists. Authorities reported no injuries among security personnel, and further details are awaited.
Reacting to the successful operations, Union Home Minister Amit Shah lauded the security forces for their efforts in eradicating Naxalism under the 'Naxal Mukt Bharat Abhiyan'.
Chhattisgarh has witnessed intensified anti-Naxal operations, with security forces recovering the bodies of 103 insurgents killed in encounters this year. In 2023, Bastar alone saw 219 Maoists neutralized, marking their biggest defeat in the region. Authorities are pushing forward with their strategy to dismantle Maoist networks in the state by March 2026, with districts like Bijapur, Dantewada, Kanker, and Narayanpur remaining key areas of concern.