4 Maoists killed in Bastar; search operation still on

New Delhi: In the first operation against Left-wing Extremism (LWE) this year, four Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region. A head constable of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was also killed in the face-off. Union home minister Amit Shah has set a deadline of March 2026 to end the red menace from all states, including Chhattisgarh.According to officials, 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-Maoist operation. Soon after the exchange of fire stopped late Saturday night, the bodies of four Maoists and automatic weapons, including an AK-47 and a self-loading rifle (SLR), were recovered from the spot, officials said. The DRG head constable, later identified as Sannu Karam, was also killed in the gunfight, they added.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 Maoists. Automatic weapons, including AK-47s and SLRs, were recovered during the search,” Sundarraj said. Search operations are still underway, and further details are awaited.As many as 130 hardcore Maoists, carrying a total bounty of more than ₹7 crore, including women, are believed to be in the forests of Chhattisgarh. In 2024, around 287 Maoists were killed, 1,000 arrested and 837 surrendered in Chhattisgarh alone, with significant dent in the cadre strength in Jharkhand and Odisha. Among those neutralised, 14 were top-ranking Maoist leaders, according to home ministry officials.The new strategy adopted by the Central and state forces is to focus simultaneously on operations and development in red zones. MHA officials added that Maoism has been effectively curbed in the past 10 years, resulting in a 73% reduction in security personnel casualties and a 70% decline in civilian deaths, compared to the previous decade, as per MHA’s data.During 2021, MHA has classified a total of 70 districts in 10 states as Maoist-affected after a detailed review. Out of these 70 districts, 25 districts of 8 states have been classified as most LWE-affected districts and 8 districts of 6 states have been classified as districts of concern. The MHA, in a Lok Sabha reply in Parliament, stated that the geographical spread of (LWE) violence has substantially reduced from 126 across 10 states in 2013 to only 38 districts in nine states by April 2024.