Indian Security Forces Kill 16 Maoist In Chhattisgarh (X image @Defence_Squad_)
Indian security forces killed at least 16 Maoists in the central state of Chhattisgarh, reported Reuters. Two security personnel were injured during the encounter in the forests of Upampalli Kerlapal area along the Sukma-Dantewada border.
Fight broke out in the early hours in a forest under Kerlapal police station, where a joint team of security forces was carrying out an anti-Naxalite operation, media quoted an official as speaking. The operation was based on intelligence about Maoist presence in the Kerlapal area, involved personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Centracl Reserve Police Force (CRPF) .
“Sixteen Naxalites’ bodies have been recovered from the site of the encounter so far, with the operation still ongoing,” the official confirmed. They also added that two security personnel sustained minor injuries during the operation.
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As per the report, the Maoist have waged a guerrilla offensive against the government, especially in central and eastern India, for decades, leading to intense clashes and casualties on both sides.
The security forces found a variety of guns during a search in Sukma in southern Chhattisgarh, said police in a statement, as per the media report. The Maoist said that the rebels say they are fighting to give poor Indian farmers and landless labourers more control over their land and a greater claim to minerals being exploited by major mining companies.
Home Minister Amit Shah said that the government is resolved to eradicate Naxalism by March next year. He appealed to those with arms to choose peace and development over violence.
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Taking to his X, the Home Minister wrote, “Another strike on Naxalism! Our security agencies have neutralised 16 Naxalites and recovered a massive cache of automatic weapons in an operation in Sukma. Under the leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, we are resolved to eradicate Naxalism before the 31st of March 2026. My appeal to those with arms is that weapons and violence cannot bring change; only 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.
Under the leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, we are resolved to eradicate Naxalism before the 31st of March 2026.…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) March 29, 2025
Earlier in February this year, 31 Maoists and two security personnel were killed in a gunfight in the jungles of Indravati National Park in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district. It was marked as the largest ambush on Left Wing Extremists this year, bringing the 2025 death toll to 81. It was followed by an anti-Maoist operation launched by security forces on Friday, which culminated in the encounter around 8 am, said Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range), Sunderraj P.
