16 Naxalites gunned down, two jawans injured in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma
Security forces seized a cache of modern weapons and explosives as search operations continue;
Security forces during an anti-Naxal operation somewhere in the forests of Chhattisgarh. Picture used for representational purpose only. (Photo:X)
Guwahati, March 29: At least 16 cadres of the proscribed Communist Party of India – Maoist, CPI (Maoist), were killed in an intense gun battle with security forces in the dense forested terrain near the Sukma-Dantewada inter-district border in Chhattisgarh, on Saturday morning.
The encounter took place in the hilly region of Gogunda, about 480 km south of Raipur, as security personnel continued their intensified anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh.
Security forces recovered a cache of modern weapons and explosives from the site. A search operation remains underway to flush out any remaining insurgents.
According to reports, a joint team of the Sukma District Reserve Guards (DRG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had launched an anti-insurgency operation in the region on Friday.
State Home Minister Vijay Sharma confirmed the development, adding that two security personnel sustained injuries during the gunfight but are in stable condition.
Saturday’s encounter marks the fifth such operation this month in the Bastar division. Earlier, on March 20, security forces eliminated 22 Maoists in two separate encounters in Bijapur and Kanker districts.
Of these, 18 were gunned down in Bijapur’s Gangaloor area near the Bijapur-Dantewada border, while four were killed in Kanker in a joint operation by the BSF and the DRG.
This year alone, security forces have recovered the bodies of 132 Maoists in counter-insurgency operations across Chhattisgarh, including 116 from the Bastar division. In January, 14 Maoists were killed near the Odisha border in Gariaband district.
According to national security data, 219 Maoists were eliminated in Bastar alone in 2024, marking one of the most significant setbacks for insurgents in recent years.
The latest encounters are part of a larger strategy to dismantle Maoist influence in districts like Bijapur, Dantewada, Kanker, and Narayanpur—among the seven most affected regions in Chhattisgarh.
Earlier, the Centre had set a deadline of March 31, 2026 to completely eliminate Maoist activities from the country.
