Raipur, Feb 11: Chhattisgarh police executed a strategic operation against Naxalites in Bijapur district, resulting in the death of 31 militants, including 11 women, during a surprise assault from neighboring Maharashtra, officials reported on Tuesday.
This operation marked one of the most significant confrontations with Naxalites in Chhattisgarh, occurring in the forested hills of Indravati National Park on Sunday.
In the gunfight, two security personnel lost their lives, and several others were injured.
“We received intelligence on the presence of cadres from the Telangana state committee, west Bastar division, and national park area committee of Maoists convening in the remote jungles of Indravati National Park for plans related to their Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign (TCOC),” a police official informed PTI.
Typically, Naxalites amplify their activities during the TCOC period from March to June.
Combat units from Chhattisgarh police’s District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), and Bastar Fighters were mobilized in various directions starting February 7, the official added.
“To take advantage of the element of surprise, some teams were dispatched into the Indravati National Park from launch points established by Maharashtra police in the neighboring state,” he explained.
On Sunday morning, patrolling teams pinpointed a hill where Naxalite movements were detected.
The gunfire erupted around 8 am as security forces maneuvered to encircle the hill, according to the official.
“Naxalites divided into two factions during the clash; one group, likely from the Telangana state committee, began to retreat while the other engaged in combat,” he noted.
The patrolling teams approaching from the Maharashtra side caught the Naxalites off guard as they were unprepared for such an incursion and were outmatched. The sporadic exchange of gunfire continued until approximately 4 pm, the official relayed.
The strategic alteration of access routes contributed to the operation’s success, resulting in the neutralization of 31 Naxalites, the official stated.
The encounter site is roughly 80 km from the Bijapur district headquarters and 40 km within Chhattisgarh’s boundary from Maharashtra. Security personnel trekked around 100 km on foot over the three-day operation, he added.
Post-battle, security teams transported the bodies of the Maoists using makeshift slings for about five kilometers before calling for aerial support, he noted.
“It was unfeasible for the security forces to carry the 31 corpses on foot for approximately 45 km, especially given their exhaustion from being engaged in the operation since February 7. Hence, while we evacuated the bodies of the deceased jawans and two injured personnel, we opted to airlift the Naxalite bodies as well,” he explained.
Several jawans, primarily female commandos suffering from dehydration, were also airlifted to Bijapur, the official confirmed.
A total of twenty-four firearms and a significant cache of explosives were recovered from the encounter site, he reported.
Among the deceased, five of the 31 Naxalites have been recognized as notorious figures, carrying a total bounty of Rs 25 lakh.
Notably, Hunga Karma, a member of the divisional committee of the west Bastar division of Naxalites, had a reward of Rs 8 lakh, the official detailed.
“The west and south Bastar divisions of Naxalites represent their most formidable forces in the area, and over the past year, numerous key operatives from the west Bastar division have been eliminated,” the official stated.
So far this year, 81 Naxalites have been killed in the state, with 65 of these fatalities occurring within the Bastar division, which includes seven districts, including Bijapur.
In the previous year, 219 Naxalites were reported neutralized by security forces across various encounters in Chhattisgarh, according to police data. (PTI)
