Over 30 Naxals killed in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur, two jawans dead
This operation is the 2nd in 20 days, after 14 Naxals were killed in the state on January 21
The encounter unfolded at around 10:30 am in the National Park area of Bijapur when the anti-Naxal team initiated their regular search operation.
Guwahati, Feb 9: Security forces gunned down over 30 Naxalites during an encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Sunday as reported by national press. The operation, part of a routine anti-Naxal search, also resulted in the deaths of two security personnel, while two others sustained injuries.
According to the police, one of the deceased jawans was a member of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) while the other belonged to the Special Task Force (STF).
"An encounter took place in the forests on Sunday morning, resulting in the deaths of 31 Naxalites in the National Park area of Bijapur district. Two jawans have lost their lives while two were injured. The injured jawans were airlifted to the hospital for treatment; both are reported to be out of danger and search operation is currently ongoing," P. Sundarraj, Bastar IG told a national newswire.
The encounter unfolded at around from 8 am in the National Park area of Bijapur when the anti-Naxal team initiated their regular search operation.
In addition to neutralising the Naxalites, the security forces also recovered a substantial cache of arms and ammunition during the operation, further highlighting the scale of the encounter. Reinforcements have been dispatched to the area, and a search operation is currently underway.
This is a developing story and more details are awaited as security forces continue their combing operations in the area.
This incident marks the second major anti-Naxal operation in the state within the last 20 days. Earlier, on January 21, at least 14 ultras were reportedly killed in an encounter with Chhattisgarh Police near the state’s border with Odisha in Gariaband district.
The security forces’ operations in Chhattisgarh have intensified in recent months, with the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and CoBRA commandos taking part in several successful operations against the Naxals.
On January 12, another encounter in Bijapur district led to the killing of five Naxals during a joint anti-Naxalite mission.
These operations come in the wake of a deadly Naxalite-triggered IED blast in early January, which killed nine civilians in Bijapur district.
The victims, including eight members of the Dantewada District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the driver, were returning from a joint anti-Naxalite operation in the regions of Dantewada, Narayanpur, and Bijapur.