Security forces have neutralised 16 Naxalites in an ongoing encounter in the Kerlapal area of Sukma district in Chhattisgarh on Saturday while two security personnel sustained minor injuries during the operation.
Bastar Inspector General (IG) of Police Sundarraj P confirmed the development, stating that the encounter ensued as part of a joint anti-Naxal operation conducted by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
The operation was launched on Friday following specific intelligence inputs regarding the presence of Naxals in the Kerlapal region, falling under Sukma police station limits.
The joint team set out on the search mission on 28 March, with intermittent firing continuing since early morning on 29 March.
Security forces comb encounter site
Security personnel are presently conducting an intensive search operation across the encounter site and surrounding forested terrain.
Sukma remains one of the most severely affected districts in the Bastar region, with a history of multiple Naxal attacks.
The latest operation follows another attack in Narayanpur district on Friday, where a jawan was injured after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Naxalites detonated.
Also read: Security forces defuse powerful 45-kg IED in Bijapur
Bastar IG Sundarraj P said, "One jawan injured during an IED blast planted by Maoists towards Bedmakoti. The injured soldier is being given first aid at the District Hospital in Narayanapur."
He added that the soldier's condition stabilised after initial treatment.
Government claims Naxalism on the decline
The development comes days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted in Parliament that Naxalism would be eradicated from the country by 31 March 2026.
Presenting statistics, he noted a significant decline in Naxal-related violence over the past decade.
Shah stated, "Between 2004 and 2014, there were 16,463 violent incidents, but in the last ten years, this number has decreased by 53%." He further detailed that from 2004 to 2014, 1,851 security personnel were martyred, whereas in the past decade, the toll dropped to 509, marking a 73% reduction. Civilian casualties also saw a decline from 4,766 to 1,495, a 70% decrease.
Highlighting infrastructural developments, Shah informed Parliament that since 2014, approximately 11,503 kilometres of highways and 20,000 kilometres of rural roads had been constructed in Naxal-affected areas.
The government has also installed 4,888 mobile towers across two phases, with work underway to erect an additional 4,000 towers.
He assured that full mobile connectivity would be provided across all Naxal-hit regions by 1 December this year.
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