3 women among 4 Naxals killed in MP
Four Naxalites, including three women, were killed in an encounter with security forces in a forest area of Balaghat district in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said.
Balaghat is a Maoist-affected district that shares borders with Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.
A grenade launcher, a self-loading rifle (SLR), two .315 bore rifles, other weapons and material were recovered from the site, Yadav said.
Incidentally, the encounter took place when Union Home Minister Amit Shah was in the state to inaugurate the BJP’s training camp in Pachmarhi.
In a post on X, the CM said, “Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and Union Home Minister Amit Shah ji, the state has achieved a major success in the campaign to eradicate Naxalism by March 2026." “One male and three female armed Naxalites have been killed in an encounter during a joint operation of (MP’s anti naxal force ) Hawk Force, District (Police) Force and CRPF in the forests of Pachmadar and Katejhiriya," he said.
The search operation, in which a large number of police officers and jawans are engaged, is still underway, he said.
“Hearty congratulations to our indomitable, courageous soldiers and senior police officers of the state for this success," CM Yadav added.
Talking to PTI over the phone, Balaghat Zone Inspector General of Police Sanjay Kumar said efforts to identify the deceased Naxalites were on.
The operation against the Naxalites is still on, he said from the spot located in Roopjhar police station limits, about 40 km from the district headquarters.
The operation was launched following intelligence inputs about their movement received last evening, he said.
Superintendent of Police Aditya Mishra said the Maoists killed were hardcore cadres of the MMC zone’s GRB division, adding that efforts are underway to ascertain their identities.
“Security forces had received intelligence inputs about the presence of a group of Maoists belonging to GRB division. Acting on the tip-off, a joint search operation was launched by Hawk Force, district police, and CRPF personnel. During the operation, the Maoists opened fire on security personnel with an intention to inflict casualties and loot their weapons," Mishra said.
The retaliation by security forces resulted in the gunning down of four Naxalites, while some ultras have sustained injuries but managed to flee due to the dense forest cover, the SP added.
The MMC zone comprises Maharashtra, MP and Chhattisgarh and was formed by the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) in 2015-16 expand the movement’s footprint, another police official said.
The GRB (Gondia, Rajnandgaon and Balaghat) is one of the divisions in the MCC, he explained.
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