Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur-Dantewada border area.
ISLAMABAD: Three personnel of the Indian Reserve Guard (DRG) were killedand two others injured during a fierce encounter with Maoist insurgents inthe dense forests along the Bijapur-Dantewada district border inChhattisgarh on Tuesday.
The clash erupted when a joint team comprising DRG units from bothdistricts, supported by the Special Task Force, Central Reserve PoliceForce and elite CoBRA commandos, launched a search operation based onspecific intelligence about the presence of senior Maoist cadres in theGangaloor area of West Bastar division.
According to official statements from the Chhattisgarh Police, theoperation commenced around 9 am and soon escalated into heavy gunfireexchange. The three DRG personnel who lost their lives have been identifiedas Head Constable Monu Wadadi, Constable Dukaru Gonde and Constable RameshSodi. The injured jawans are reported to be stable and under medical care.
Security forces claimed significant success on the Maoist side, withpreliminary reports indicating that at least seven to twelve insurgents,including a high-ranking commander, were neutralised. Several bodies alongwith weapons, including self-loading rifles and ammunition, were recoveredfrom the encounter site.
The operation remained active late into the evening as additionalreinforcements were rushed to the area to conduct further combing andprevent any possible regrouping by the insurgents. Authorities describedthe incident as one of the major setbacks for Maoist groups in the Bastarregion this year.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai condemned the attack as acowardly act by a frustrated outfit facing existential crisis andreiterated the state government’s resolve to intensify anti-Naxaloperations. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed grief over theloss of the three jawans while asserting that the goal of making IndiaNaxal-free by March 2026 remained firm.
Read Top Stories
The Bastar region continues to witness sporadic but intense violencedespite a sharp decline in Maoist influence over the past decade due tosustained security operations and development initiatives. This encountermarks another chapter in the long-drawn internal security challenge facingIndian forces in the mineral-rich tribal belt.
Source:https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/chhattisgarh/three-drg-personnel-killed-in-encounter-with-naxalites-in-bijapur/article68945678.ece
Tags: India, Chhattisgarh, Naxal, Maoist, DRG, Bastar, CoBRA
ogimageimage-name