31 Naxalites, 2 commandoes killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur(India)

Indian security forces killed at least 31 Maoist rebels on Sunday in one of the deadliest clashes since the government ramped up efforts to crush the long-running insurgency.

Two Indian commandos were also killed in the battle, and two other security force members were wounded, police said.

More than 10,000 people have been killed in the decades-long insurgency waged by the rebels, who say they are fighting for the rights of marginalised people in India’s resource-rich central regions.

“So far 31 dead bodies of the Maoists have been recovered,” senior police officer Sundarraj P. told AFP.

“Two security personnel are dead and two other security personnel are injured,” he added.

Reinforcements have been sent to the area, he said, warning that the toll could rise as the police carry out search operations.

“Additional forces have been rushed to the encounter site,” he said.

Police said they had seized assault rifles and grenade launchers from the bodies of the dead rebels.

The gunfight broke in the forested areas of Bijapur district in the state of Chhattisgarh, considered the heartland of the insurgency.

The rebels, also known as Naxalites after the district where their armed campaign began in 1967, were inspired by the Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong.

“This is a big success in the direction of achieving a Naxal-free India,” said Amit Shah, India’s interior minister, who last year said the government expected to crush the rebellion by 2026.

Shah repeated his vow to “completely eradicate Naxalism”.

A crackdown by security forces killed around 287 rebels last year, an overwhelming majority in Chhattisgarh, according to government data.

More than 80 Maoists have been killed so far this year, according to a tally on Sunday by the Press Trust of India news agency.

The Maoists demand land, jobs and a share of the region’s immense natural resources for local residents.

They made inroads in a number of remote communities across India’s east and south, and the movement gained in strength and numbers until the early 2000s.

New Delhi then deployed tens of thousands of troops in a stretch of territory known as the “Red Corridor”.

The conflict has also seen scores of deadly attacks on government forces. A roadside bomb killed at least nine Indian troops last month.In a major operation against the Left Wing extremism, security forces gunned down 31 Naxalites during an encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Sunday, police said

Two security personnel were also killed and as many others injured in the face-off, they said.

More than 650 security personnel entered the Indravati National Park area from different sides and eliminated 31 Naxalites in their den, Chhattisgarh’s Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma said.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said the end of Naxalism in the country and the state is certain. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the state will get rid of Naxalism by March 2026, he added.

With this incident, 81 Naxalites have been gunned down by security forces in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh so far this year.

The latest gunfight took place at a forest in Indravati National Park area in the morning when a joint team of personnel from different security forces was out on an anti-Naxalite operation, Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj P said.

Personnel belonging to the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF) and Bastar Fighters, all units of the state police, were involved in the operation, he said.

“So far, bodies of 31 Naxalites clad in ‘uniform’ have been recovered from the encounter site. Besides, a huge cache of weapons, including AK-47, INSAS, SLR and .303 rifles and Barrel Grenade Launchers, and explosives have also been seized from the site,” the official said.

Two security personnel, one belonging to the state DRG and the other from the STF, were killed in the gunfight and two others suffered injuries, he said.

The two injured jawans, reported to be out of danger, were being airlifted to a better medical facility for treatment, he said.

Reinforcement has been rushed to the spot and search operation is under way in the area, he added.

CM Sai said that under the leadership of PM Modi and Union minister Amit Shah, the state will get rid of Naxalism by March 2026.

Security forces have been continuously getting success in this direction and moving rapidly towards achieving the goal. The end of Naxalism, which is like “cancer”, from the country and the state is certain, he said in a statement.

“The sacrifice of our soldiers will not go in vain. I pray to God for the departed souls to rest in peace and provide strength to the bereaved families, and for the speedy recovery of the injured jawans,” Sai said.

Hailing the security forces, Deputy CM Vijay Sharma said the national park area in Bijapur was considered as a safe haven for Naxalites, where more than 650 security personnel entered from different sides and eliminated 31 Naxalites in their den.

All the deceased Naxalites were clad in uniform and automated weapons were recovered from them, he said.

“Our two jawans were martyred in the operation. I pay homage to them and pray to God to give strength to their families. The Vishnu Deo Sai government will always stand by their families. Two injured jawans have been airlifted (to Raipur),” he said.

Asked about the deadline of March 2026 to end Naxalism, Sharma said, “Under the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and CM Sai, the target will be achieved.”

“The improvised explosive devices laid (by Naxalites) on the path of development of Bastar will be cleared. We are working with full commitment to ensure basic amenities, like schools, hospitals, water, road, anganwadis (government-run women and child care centres) and mobile towers, reach the entire region,” he said.

Out of the 81 Naxalites gunned down in the state so far this year, 65 were killed in the Bastar division comprising seven districts, including Bijapur.

Last year, 219 Naxalites were neutralised by security forces in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh, according to police.

On October 4 last year, 38 Naxalites were killed following an encounter in Abhujmaad area along the Narayanpur-Dantewada inter-district border in the Bastar region.