At least 12 Naxals were killed by security forces following an encounter that broke out in the forest area under Kistaram of Sukma district in Chhattisgarh, Sukma SP Kiran Chavan said on Saturday.
Acting on specific inputs about the presence of Naxals, a team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) had launched an operation in the forest area.
As they were closing in, the Naxals opened fire, prompting a strong retaliation from the DRG jawans. “Automatic weapons were also recovered,” SP Chavan added.
Meanwhile, two Naxals were also killed by DRG Jawans in the southern region of Bijapur district.
The DRG had launched a search operation after receiving intelligence regarding the presence of armed Naxals in the region.
IG Bastar P Sundarraj said that contact was established around 5 am and intermittent exchange of fire has been goining on since then.
Political controversy erupts over Naxal Madvi Hidma
“Based on intelligence regarding the presence of armed Maoists in the southern region of Bijapur district, a search operation was launched. A team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was on an operation in the South Bastar region. Intermittent exchanges of fire between the DRG and Maoists have been ongoing since 5.00 AM,” the IG Bastar said.
So far, the bodies of two Maoists have been recovered from the encounter site during the search operation, he added.
With the March 31, 2026 deadline set by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to end Naxalism from the country approaching, the security forces have intensified their operations against the left-wing extremism.
According to a report, security forces neutralised 256 Naxalites in the forests of various districts of the Bastar division from January 2025 to December 2025.