30 Naxalites, cop killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur

In a fresh offensive against Naxals, security forces killed at least 30 members of the banned CPI (Maoists) in two separate encounters in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region on 20 March, Thursday, officials said. A police jawan was also killed in the encounter, he said.

While 26 Naxalites were killed in Bijapur district, four Maoists were gunned down in Kanker by a joint team of the BSF and District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel of the state police.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the security forces have achieved another big success in their march to make the country Naxal-free with the two encounters.

"The Modi government is moving forward with a ruthless approach against Naxalites and is adopting a zero tolerance policy against those Naxalites who are not surrendering despite all the facilities being offered to them, ranging from surrender to inclusion. The country is going to be Naxal-free by March 31 next year," Shah wrote on X in Hindi.

The gunfight broke out at around 7: 00 a.m. in a forest along the border of Bijapur and Dantewada districts when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxalite operation in Gangaloor police station area (in Bijapur), he said.

The bodies of 26 Naxalites besides firearms and explosives were recovered from the spot, Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range Sundarraj P told PTI.

A jawan of the DRG unit was also killed in the gunfight, he said.

Another encounter took place in the morning in a forest along the border of Kanker and Narayanpur districts when a joint team of the DRG and Border Security Force (BSF) was out on an anti-Naxal operation, Kanker Superintendent of Police Indira Kalyan Elesela said.

The bodies of four Naxalites and automatic weapons were recovered following the action, he said.

Search operations were underway at both the encounter sites, police said.

With the latest action, 113 Naxalites have been killed in encounters in the state so far this year. Of them, 97 were eliminated in the Bastar division comprising seven districts including Bijapur and Kanker.