Four Hardcore Naxals Gunned Down In Encounter With CRPF, Gadchiroli Police In Maharashtra

Four hardcore Maoists were gunned down in a nearly two-hour exchange of fire with CRPF personnel and Gadchiroli Police near the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border on Friday morning.

According to a report by news agency ANI, Gadchiroli Police confirmed that Additional SP Ramesh led the operation, involved 12 C60 commando teams, comprising around 300 personnel, and a CRPF unit.

Despite heavy rainfall in the area, the operation was launched on Thursday at noon from Kawande and Nelgunda. Later, they advanced towards the Indravati riverbank near the recently opened Forward Operating Base (FOB) Kawande.

While laying a cordon and searching the riverbank, Maoists opened indiscriminate fire on the C60 commandos, prompting effective retaliation.

In the meantime, Maoists opened indiscriminate fire on the C60 commandos while laying a barrier and searching the riverbank. However, it was effectively retaliated against by security forces, which lasted nearly two hours.

Following the operation, four Maoist bodies, one automatic Self Loading Rifle, two .303 rifles, and a Bharmar were recovered. In addition, walkie-talkies, camping materials, and Naxal literature were also seized from the scene. Search operations, along with anti-Naxalite operations, are still going on to find out the remaining Maoists in the area.

Additionally, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai inaugurated a fleet of motorcycles provided to DRG personnel for anti-Naxal missions and also engaged with the jawans involved in the recent successful operation.

CPI-Maoist General Secretary Killed In Anti-Maoist Operation

Meanwhile, in a massive joint anti-Maoist operation, security forces in Chhattisgarh killed 27 Naxals, including CPI-Maoist General Secretary Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, on Wednesday (May 21) in the Abujmarh forests of Narayanpur district.

Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range), P Sundarraj, stated on Wednesday that a coordinated operation involving the District Reserve Guard (DRG) units from Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, and Kondagaon resulted in the death of 27 Naxals, including CPI-M General Secretary Nambala Keshav Rao, also known as Basavaraju.

The encounter occurred in the Abujmarh region, a known Naxalite stronghold, based on intelligence indicating the presence of top Maoist leaders, he added.

Sundarraj also confirmed that security forces recovered a substantial cache of weapons, including AK-47 rifles, SLRs, INSAS carbines, and other arms and ammunition. One DRG personnel was killed in the line of duty, and several others sustained injuries during the operation.

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