At least 14 Naxalites killed in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma and Bijapur – Firstpost

At least 14 Naxalites were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma and adjoining Bijapur districts on Saturday, officials said.

Of the total, 12 Maoist cadres were killed in Sukma district during an anti-Naxal operation launched late on Friday evening by the District Reserve Guard (DRG). The operation was carried out from the Palodi and Potakpalli areas under the Kistaram police station limits. The encounter took place near Pamlur village in the Kistaram area.

Security forces neutralised 12 Naxalites during the exchange of fire. Among those killed was Mangdu, secretary of the Konta Area Committee. The identities of the remaining slain cadres are yet to be established. Automatic weapons, including AK-47 and INSAS rifles, were recovered from the encounter site.

Officials said the operation was continuously monitored by Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan. Further details are awaited.

A senior police officer said two more Maoists were killed in a separate gunfight in neighbouring Bijapur district in the early hours of Saturday. Their identities are yet to be confirmed.

In Sukma, the gunfight broke out in a forested area in the southern part of the district when security personnel were out on an anti-Maoist operation. “At least 12 cadres have been neutralised so far. The operation is still underway, and more details will be shared later,” the officer said.

In Bijapur, the encounter occurred around 5 am when a DRG team was conducting a similar operation. The bodies of two Maoists were recovered from the spot.

Officials said intermittent firing was still underway at both locations, and a clearer picture would emerge after the operations conclude.

Police added that 285 Maoists were killed in encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh last year.