Dantewada: Four Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, a senior police official said on Sunday. A head constable of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was also killed in the face-off.
The gunfight broke out on Saturday evening at a forest in south Abujhmaad along the border of Narayanpur and Dantewada districts when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxalite operation, the official said.
After the exchange of fire stopped late Saturday night, bodies of four Naxalites and automatic weapons, including one AK-47 and one self-loading rifle (SLR), were recovered from the spot, he said. DRG head constable Sannu Karam was also killed in the gunfight, the official said.
According to Inspector General of Bastar, P Sundarraj, the operation was conducted by the Special Task Force (STF) in coordination with DRG teams from Narayanpur, Dantewada, Jagdalpur, and Kondagaon districts in the Abujmarh area.
"The encounter, which began on Saturday evening, resulted in the deaths of four uniformed Naxals. Automatic weapons, including AK-47s and SLRs, were recovered during the search," Sundarraj said. Search operations are still underway, and further details are awaited.
While Union Home Minister Amit Shah had asserted last November that the government would eliminate Naxalism by March 2026, a top police official recently said that there are 129 hardcore Naxals, carrying a total bounty of Rs 7.12 crore, hiding in the forests of north Bastar in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district.
Among these 129, 57 are men and 72 are women cadres. According to Sandeep Patel, Additional SP, there are three cadres of Naxal's Special Zonal Committee (SZC), carrying rewards of Rs 25 lakh each on their heads. He said there are 22 divisional commanders carrying rewards of Rs 8 lakh each and 21 area committee members, who carry rewards of Rs 5 lakh each.
In 2024 alone, the Kanker Police and security forces have killed 40 Naxals who carried rewards worth Rs 2.45 crore. Among whom, 23 were men and 17 women cadres. This apart, 16 Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) have been recovered and deactivated by the soldiers.
Bastar has been affected the most by Naxal violence. A report of the last nine months reveals that the soldiers have killed more than 207 Naxalites in encounters in the Bastar division.
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