The Chhattisgarh Police on Saturday said four Naxalites were neutralised during an encounter with security forces in the Bijapur district. The encounter broke out in a forest in Bijapur's south-western part on Saturday evening, the police said, adding that the security forces had launched an anti-Naxal operation in the area after receiving specific inputs about the Maoists.
Noting that the operation is still underway, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P said a large quantity of arms and ammunition, including INSAS and SLR rifles, were recovered from the encounter site.
"So far, the bodies of four Maoists have been found at the encounter site, and intermittent exchange of fire is still underway," the IG (Bastar Range) was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
With this, the security forces have neutralised 225 Naxalites in Chhattisgarh this year. Out of the 225 Naxalites, 2028 were neutralised in the Bastar division, which comprises the districts of Bijapur, Bastar, Kanker, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Sukma and Dantewada.
Notably, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed the security agencies to make the country free from Naxalism by March 31, 2026.
66 Naxalites surrender in five Chhattisgarh districts
On Thursday, officials said that 66 Naxalites, including 49 carrying a cumulative reward of Rs 2.27 crore, had surrendered in five districts of the Bastar division - 25 in Bijapur, 15 in Dantewada, 13 in Kanker, eight in Narayanpur and five in Sukma. Out of the 66 Naxalites, 27 were women, the officials said, adding that the surrendered Naxalites were disappointed with the "hollow Maoist ideology".
"They also claimed to be impressed by 'Niyad Nellanar' (your good village) scheme of the state government, aimed at facilitating development works in remote villages, new surrender and rehabilitation policy of the state government and Poona Margham (Rehabilitation for Social Reintegration), a rehabilitation initiative launched by Bastar Range police," an official told PTI.
With this, around 1020 Naxalites have surrendered since June 2020 after the launch of the 'Lon Varratu' campaign.
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