10 Naxals Killed In Encounter In Chhattisgarh

In a major operation against Naxal insurgency, ten Naxals were killed in an encounter with the District Reserve Guard (DRG) in southern Sukma, Chhattisgarh on Friday.

According to Bastar IG P Sundarraj, the security forces recovered weapons, including INSAS rifles, AK-47s, SLRs, and other arms, from the site. A search operation is ongoing to ensure the area is secured.

This follows last week's anti-insurgency operation in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, where five Naxals were killed, and two security personnel sustained injuries during a gunfight in the dense forests of north Abujhmad, near the border of Narayanpur and Kanker districts.

As of January 2024, security forces have neutralized 257 Naxals, arrested 861, and witnessed the surrender of 789 others. The number of deaths caused by Naxal violence has drastically reduced, dropping 90% from the peak of 1,005 in 2010 to 96 by September 2024, India Today reported.

For the first time in over four decades, the number of deaths fell below 100 in 2022, marking a significant decline in Naxal activity.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently stated that Chhattisgarh is on track to becoming completely Naxal-free by 2026. To achieve this, security forces have intensified simultaneous operations in key insurgency-hit regions.

On Wednesday, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to apprise about the situation in the Naxal-affected areas. "I met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and apprised him of the Naxal activities in Chhattisgarh... In the last 11 months, nearly 200 Naxals have been eliminated, and nearly 600-700 have surrendered. We are fast moving towards the Prime Minister's and Home Minister's aim of making India a Naxal-free country by March 2026," Hindustan Times quoted him as telling after the meeting.