Naxalite Death Toll Rises to 31 Following Fierce Encounter in Chhattisgarh

Three more Naxalites were found dead in the dense forests of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region on Saturday, following a violent clash between Naxal insurgents and security personnel that took place a day earlier, according to local police. With these latest recoveries, the death toll from Friday’s encounter has risen to 31, marking one of the highest casualties for Naxalites in a single operation in the state’s history.

The Ongoing Operation

The bodies were discovered during an ongoing search operation being conducted by the security forces in the area. Inspector General of Police Sundarraj P. provided further details about the discovery. “Bodies of three more Naxalites were recovered this morning from the dense forest where the encounter took place on Friday,” he said. “With this, the toll of Naxalites in the encounter rose to 31. The identity of the Naxalites is yet to be ascertained, but prima facie it appears that they belonged to PLGA company No. 6, Platoon 16 of Maoists, and the east Bastar division of Maoists,” he added.

The Initial Encounter

The encounter began early on Friday morning, around 1 a.m., in a forested area between the villages of Nendur and Thulthuli, which lie on the inter-district border between Dantewada and Narayanpur. A joint team comprising the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Special Task Force (STF) was conducting an anti-Naxal operation in the area when the gunfight erupted. The intermittent exchange of fire between the Naxalites and security forces lasted for several hours.

“The operation is still ongoing, with search teams combing through the forest,” officials said, stressing that there could still be more Naxalites hidden in the area. The officials also emphasized that this encounter represents the highest number of fatalities suffered by the Maoists in a single operation since the formation of the state 24 years ago.

Significance of the Encounter

This operation comes only five months after a similar offensive in which 29 Naxalites, including higher-ranking cadres, were killed in an encounter in Kanker district. With the latest death toll from Friday’s gunfight, a total of 188 Naxalites have been killed in separate encounters in the Bastar region this year, police sources confirmed. The Bastar region, which consists of seven districts including Dantewada and Narayanpur, has been a hotspot for Naxalite insurgency for decades.

Inspector General of Police Sundarraj P. also mentioned that along with the bodies, a significant cache of weapons was recovered from the encounter site. The recovered arms include an AK-47 rifle, one SLR, one INSAS rifle, one LMG rifle, and a .303 rifle.

Security Personnel’s Injuries and Weapons Cache

During the encounter, a member of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) sustained injuries after a blast occurred from an Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) shell fired by the Maoists. The injured personnel were quickly attended to and are reported to be stable. In addition to the bodies of the Naxalites, a significant number of weapons were recovered from the scene. Among the haul were sophisticated firearms such as an AK-47 rifle, one SLR, an INSAS rifle, an LMG, and a .303 rifle, according to police officials.

Chief Minister’s Response

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, who has held office since December, commended the security forces for their successful operation. He reaffirmed the state’s commitment to eradicating Naxalite activity under the “double engine” government, referencing the combined efforts of the state and central governments. “We are determined to eliminate the Naxal menace from Chhattisgarh,” Sai said, highlighting the government’s firm stance on tackling the insurgency.

The latest encounter is being hailed as a major success in the ongoing battle against Maoist insurgents, who have operated in the region for decades, leading to widespread unrest and numerous fatalities.

A Major Blow to the Naxalites

The scale of this operation and its results are a significant blow to the Maoists in Chhattisgarh. The insurgent group has long held strongholds in the dense jungles of the Bastar region, where the terrain favors their guerrilla warfare tactics. However, the coordinated efforts of the DRG and STF in recent months have weakened their presence and operational capabilities.

The state police have been on heightened alert and have increased the frequency of their anti-Naxal operations since April, following the deadly encounter in Kanker. The latest operation highlights the continued success of these efforts and the heavy losses being inflicted on the Maoist cadres.

While the operation has been deemed successful, authorities have emphasized that the fight against Naxalite insurgency is far from over. The ongoing search operations in the forested areas around Dantewada and Narayanpur districts suggest that security forces are intent on eliminating any remaining Naxalite presence in the region.