Bastar: Around 200 Naxalites were neutralised in Chattisgarh's Bastar since January this year, police said. Sundarraj P, Inspector General of Police told ETV Bharat 189 Naxalites were killed in 309 days whose bodies have been found by the police. Along with this, the force has killed a total of 10 crore bounty Naxalites this year.
Sundarraj added that 229 looted weapons were also recovered. A reward of Rs 9 crore 72 lakh was announced for the Maoists who have been eliminated this year.
Among those killed were five state-level Maoists belonging to the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee. 10 killed were in the ranks of Divisional Committee Members (DVCM) of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), the armed wing of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist).
The Bastar IG stated that the force seized 229 modern weapons looted during attacks. These weapons include Light Machine Guns (LMGs), AK-47s, INSAS rifles, Advanced Sniper Long Range (ASLR) weapons, and semi-automatic firearms. Additionally, the force recovered BGL launchers and weapons fabricated by Maoists.
The weapons that the Naxalites had previously stolen from force personnel have also been retrieved. All recovered weapons were verified against official records. The Bastar IG also revealed that the Maoists themselves used to manufacture BGL launchers and other weapons.
