Sukma/Bijapur, 29 March

Security forces gunned down 18 Naxals, including 11 women, in twin encounters in Chhattisgarh's Sukma and Bijapur districts in the Bastar region on Saturday, recording a major success in the mission to eradicate Naxalism before 31 March, 2026.

The encounters occurred on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to Chhattisgarh.

Four jawans were injured as security teams inflicted major damage on Naxals, killing 17 cadres, including a high-ranking Maoist, identified as Kuhdami Jagdish, carrying a reward of Rs 25 lakh on his head, in Sukma, police said.

He was wanted in more than a dozen deadly Naxal incidents, including the 2013 Jhiram Valley attack that left several Congress leaders dead.

Another encounter was reported from the neighbouring Bijapur district where one Naxal was killed, a police officer said.

Among the four injured security personnel, three belong to the District Reserve Guard (DRG), a unit of the state police, while the fourth is from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), they said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed the Sukma encounter, saying those carrying weapons and resorting to violence cannot bring change but peace and development can.

"Another strike on Naxalism! Our security agencies have neutralised 16 Naxalites and recovered a massive cache of automatic weapons in an operation in Sukma," he wrote on 'X'.

The home minister said under the leadership of Prime Minister, the government is resolved to eradicate Naxalism before 31 March, 2026.

Ten days ago, security forces had gunned down 30 members of the banned CPI (Maoist) in two separate encounters in the Bijapur and Kanker districts in the Bastar region, which also includes Sukma.

The gunfight broke out around 8 am in the forest under the Kerlapal police station area in Sukma district, where a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxalite operation, Inspector General of Police of Bastar Range Sundarraj P told PTI.

The IG said personnel from the DRG and CRPF’s 159th battalion were involved in the operation launched on Friday night based on inputs about the presence of Maoists in the forests of Gogunda, Nendum and Upampalli villages in the Kerlapal police station area, he said.

After the exchange of fire stopped, bodies of 17 Naxalites, including 11 women, were recovered from the encounter site, he said.

He said three DRG and one CRPF personnel sustained minor injuries in the face-off.

The injured jawans have been admitted to a hospital, and their condition was stated to be normal, he said.

Sundarraj said a large cache of firearms, including an AK-47 rifle, self-loading rifle (SLR), INSAS rifle, .303 rifle, a rocket launcher and barrel grenade launcher (BGL), and explosive materials were recovered from the spot.

Of the killed cadres, seven have been identified so far, while efforts are underway to ascertain the identity of the others, he said.

Kuhdami Jagdish, alias Budhra, a special zonal committee member of Maoists and secretary of Darbha division is among seven identified neutralised Naxalites, he said.

Jagdish was allegedly wanted in more than a dozen deadly Naxal incidents, including the 2013 Jhiram Valley attack that left several Congress leaders dead, the official said, adding that he carried a reward of Rs 25 lakh.

Six other deceased cadres include four area committee members of the Maoists, he said.

A search operation was still underway in the area, he added.

In Bijapur district, the gunfight between security forces and Naxalites broke out in a forest near Narsapur-Tekametla villages when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-naxalite operation, a police officer said.

Personnel belonging to the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and 210th battalion of CoBRA- an elite unit of CRPF were involved in the operation, he said.

The body of a Naxalite and a weapon were recovered from the encounter site, he said, adding that the search operation was underway in the area.

With the latest successes, 134 Naxalites have been gunned down in separate encounters in the state so far this year. Of them, 118 were eliminated in the Bastar division.