Major Crackdown on Naxal Insurgents in Chhattisgarh: 31 Killed in Bijapur Encounter

Bijapur, February 9 – In one of the biggest crackdowns against Left-wing extremism, security forces in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh eliminated 31 Naxal insurgents during an intense encounter on Sunday morning, police officials confirmed. However, the operation also claimed the lives of two security personnel, while two others sustained injuries.

According to Sundarraj P, Inspector General (IG) of Bastar Range, the operation took place in the dense forests of the Indravati National Park, where a joint team of security forces had launched a Naxal eradication campaign. The encounter resulted in the seizure of a significant cache of weapons and explosives from the site.

While confirming the casualties among the security forces, officials stated that one of the deceased personnel was from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the other from the Special Task Force (STF). The two injured personnel were reported to be in stable condition and were being shifted to a better medical facility for further treatment.

Reinforcements have been deployed in the area, and a massive search operation is still underway to ensure the complete dismantling of any remaining insurgent presence.

This year alone, security forces have neutralized 81 Naxal insurgents in separate encounters across Chhattisgarh, with 65 of them being killed in the Bastar division, which includes seven districts like Bijapur.

The state police statistics reveal that in 2023, a total of 219 Naxals were eliminated in various encounters across Chhattisgarh, highlighting the intensified anti-Naxal operations being carried out by security forces.