9 Maoists Killed in Encounter with Security Forces in Chhattisgarh Ahead of Lok Sabha Elections

Image: PTI

Nine Maoists were fatally engaged by security forces in an encounter that transpired in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Tuesday. The skirmish erupted in a forest close to Lendra village around 6 am, as a joint team of security personnel conducted an anti-Naxal operation.

Personnel from the District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) were mobilized for the operation. Following the encounter, the security team recovered numerous automatic weapons, including a light machine gun, among other arms. A search operation is currently underway in the area.

Situated in the Bastar region, Bijapur serves as a nucleus for Maoist activity. According to police sources cited by PTI, approximately 41 Naxalites have been neutralized in separate confrontations with security forces in the Bastar region this year.

The timing of the encounter is significant as it precedes the Lok Sabha elections. The Bastar Lok Sabha constituency is slated for polling in the initial phase on April 19.

Naxalite activities usually escalate from March onward during their Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign (TCOC). The period between March and June often witnesses a surge in assaults on security forces in the Bastar region.

Just last month, security forces engaged in an encounter with six Naxalites in the Basaguda area of Bijapur, resulting in their demise.

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Malika Sahni