Chhattisgarh: Two Naxalites killed in encounter with police in Bijapur; weapons, explosives recovered
The bodies of two Maoists, along with one AK-47 rifle, one 9-mm pistol, and other arms and explosives, have been recovered from the encounter site.
At least two Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Thursday, a police official said. The gunfight erupted around 7 am in a forested area of the district’s southern region when a team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was carrying out an anti-Naxalite operation, he added.
So far, security personnel have recovered the bodies of two Maoists from the encounter site, along with an AK-47 rifle, a 9 mm pistol, and other arms and explosives.
The operation is still underway in the area, and further details are awaited, the official said.
22 Maoists killed in 2026
With this action, at least 22 Maoists have been killed in separate encounters in the state so far this year.
On January 3, fourteen Maoists were gunned down in two encounters in the Bastar region, which comprises seven districts, including Bijapur.
Last year, a total of 285 Maoists were killed in encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh.
The Centre has set a deadline of March 31 this year to eradicate Left-Wing Extremism.
52 Naxalites surrender before police in Bijapur
Earlier on January 15, as many as 52 Naxalites, including 21 women, surrendered before the police in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, a senior official said. Of them, 49 were carrying a combined bounty of over Rs 1.41 crore.
The surrendered cadres were active in the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), the Andhra–Odisha Border division, and the Bhamragarh area committee of the Maoists in Maharashtra, officials said.
They laid down their arms before senior police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officials under the "Poona" Margem (rehabilitation to social reintegration) initiative, Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav said.
The official added that the cadres cited the state government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy as a key reason for their decision. Among those who surrendered, divisional committee member Lakkhu Karam alias Anil (32) and platoon party committee members Laxmi Madvi (28) and Chinni Sodhi alias Shanti (28) carried rewards of ₹8 lakh each. Thirteen other cadres had bounties of Rs 5 lakh each, 19 carried rewards of Rs 2 lakh each, and 14 carried bounties of Rs 1 lakh each, he said.
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Also Read: Two Naxalites killed in encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur