In a series of encounters across Chhattisgarh's Bijapur and Kanker districts, security forces eliminated 22 Maoists, while one police jawan lost his life in the crossfire.

The confrontation in Bijapur erupted around 7 AM along the district’s border with Dantewada during an anti-Naxal operation in the Gangaloor police station area. Security forces recovered the bodies of 18 Maoists along with firearms and explosives. Amid heavy gunfire between the State Task Force, District Reserve Guard, and the Maoists, one security personnel was killed.

Meanwhile, in Kanker, four Maoists were neutralized in an exchange of fire near Koroskodo village. Special forces continue their combing operations in both districts.

This development follows a significant encounter last month, where security forces gunned down 31 Maoists in Bijapur’s dense forests within the Indravati National Park. That operation also resulted in the deaths of two security personnel.

A major breakthrough for security agencies came in January when a senior Maoist leader, Jayaram Reddy—also known as Chalapati—was killed. He had a bounty of ₹1 crore on his head.

In 2024 alone, over 200 Maoists were eliminated in Chhattisgarh, with 217 of the 219 killed belonging to the Bastar region, which includes Bastar, Dantewada, Kanker, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, and Sukma districts. Additionally, security forces arrested more than 800 Maoists, while around 802 surrendered and laid down their arms.