Seventeen Naxalites were killed in a fierce clash with security forces in Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh, on Thursday. This brings the total number of Naxalites killed in separate encounters across the state this month to 26.
The gunfight began around 9 a.m. in the southern part of Bijapur, during an anti-Naxalite operation. Officials said the exchange of gunfire continued intermittently until late evening. The operation involved forces from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) from three districts, five battalions of CoBRA (a special CRPF unit for jungle warfare), and the 229th battalion of the CRPF.
Early reports indicated that 12 Naxalites were killed in the fight. A search operation was still underway at the time, and further details were awaited. No casualties were reported among the security forces.
Recent encounters in Chhattisgarh have been intense. On January 12, three suspected Maoists were killed in a gunbattle with security forces in Bastar’s Bijapur district. The operation, which began on January 11, followed intelligence about Maoist activity in the area's dense forests.
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Earlier, on January 9, three Naxalites were killed in Sukma district during another encounter. This operation took place in a forest area along the Sukma-Bijapur border.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on January 6, reiterated the government's commitment to eradicating Naxalism by March 2026, promising that the sacrifices made by those killed by extremists in Chhattisgarh would not be forgotten.
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