Bijapur\Sukma: The encounter that broke out between the security personnel and Naxalites in Chattisgarh's Bijapur district yesterday morning continued today with intermittent firing from both sides. Police said bodies of 12 Naxals have been recovered till now but as per unconfirmed sources the toll is likely to be 17.
The bodies of the Naxals have been brought to Nambi camp near Usoor, where the identification process is underway.
On information about presence of a large number of Naxals in the forests of south Bastar region, forces belonging to District Reserve Guard (DRG) from Bijapur, Sukma and Dantewade, five battalions of Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) and CRPF's 229th battalion launched a search operation in the forests of Pujari Kanker and Marudbaka in Bijapur. On seeing the security forces, Naxals started firing. The security personnel retaliated and a gunfight broke out.
Bastar IG Sundarraj P and CRPF IG are monitoring the entire operation. An official of Bijapur Police said process is on to identify the 12 Naxals who were found dead during the encounter yesterday.
Bastar IG said that the Naxalites killed were members of PLGA (People's Liberation Guerilla Army, PLGA), the strongest unit of Naxalites in Bastar. The identity of the Naxalites killed has not been established yet.
"PLGA Battalion No. 1 is considered to be the strongest organization of Maoists in the tribal-dominated Bastar region. Many deadly attacks have been carried out on security forces in South Bastar," said IG Sundarraj. He further said that the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army was earlier led by the dreaded Naxalite Hidma and now this unit is being led by a Naxalite named Deva.
Encounters in Bastar in 2025:
- First encounter of 2025 in Gariaband: On January 3, an encounter broke out between the security forces and Naxalites in Indagaon police station area of Gariaband district, leaving three Naxals dead.
- Encounter in Abujhmad forest: On January 5, the second encounter of this year took place in the forests of Abujhmad. Personnel of DRG and STF of Dantewada, Narayanpur, Bastar and Kondagaon areas were on an anti-Naxal operation when the encounter broke out. Five Naxalites were killed, out of whom, two were women.
- Sukma encounter: On January 9, an encounter took place in the bordering area of Sukma-Bijapur districts and three Naxalites were killed.
- Encounter in Bijapur: On January 12, an encounter broke out between security forces and Naxalites in Maddeed police station area of Bijapur district and three Naxalites were killed.
Major encounters in Bastar in 2024:
- 10 Naxalites killed in Sukma: On November 22, 10 Naxals, including a commander, were killed in the encounter.
- 5 Naxalites killed in Abujhmad: On November 16, five Naxalites were killed during an anti-Naxal operation in bordering areas of Narayanpur and Kanker.
- 38 Naxalites killed in Abujhmad: On October 4, 38 Naxalites in the forests of Abujhmad.
- 9 Naxals killed in Dantewada: On September 3, nine Naxals were killed in an encounter in Dantewada.
- 5 Naxalites killed in Narayanpur: On July 2, five Naxalites were killed in an encounter during search a operation by security forces in Narayanpur.
- 8 Naxalites killed in Abujhmad: On June 15, eight Naxals were killed in an encounter with security forces in Abujhmad. Also, a jawan lost his life and two others suffered injuries.
- 6 Naxalites killed in Narayanpur: On July 7, six members of banned PLGA, carrying a total bounty of Rs 38 lakh, were killed in Narayanpur.
- 8 Naxalites killed on Dantewada, Bijapur, Narayanpur border: On May 23, eight hardcore Naxals were killed in an encounter in the border areas of Narayanpur, Dantewada and Bijapur.
- 12 Maoists killed in Gangalur: On May 10 security personnel killed 12 Naxals in Gangalur in Bijapur and a huge cache of weapons and ammunition was recovered.
- 9 Naxals killed on Narayanpur-Kanker border: On April 30, nine hardcore Naxalites, including two woemen, were killed in an encounter in the border area of Narayanpur and Kanker.
- 29 Naxalites killed in Kanker: On April 16, the district police and Border Security Force (BSF) killed 29 Naxalites during a joint operation in Kanker.
- 13 Naxalites killed in Bijapur: On April 2, during an anti-Naxal operation, 13 Maoists were killed in Bijapur.
- 6 Naxalites killed in Bijapur: On March 27, six Naxals, including two women cadres, were killed in Bijapur.
- 4 Naxalites killed in Bijapur: On February 27, Naxalites were planting an IED to target security personnel in Bijapur when the jawans reached the spot and killed four of them.
- 2 Naxalites killed in Narayanpur: On February 3, security forces killed 2 Naxals in Narayanpur.
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