Four Maoists including a cadre carrying a reward of Rs 15 lakh, were killed in an encounter with security forces along the Chatra-Hazaribag border in Jharkhand on Friday, police said.
The cadres surrendered along with automatic weapons and ammunition under the Poona Margem initiative being carried out by Chhattisgarh Police. Two of those who laid down arms are women.
At least 11 security personnel were injured when Maoists triggered multiple IED blasts in the Karregutta Hills area near the Bijapur-Telangana border in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, police officials said on Monday.
Bastar Range Inspector General of Police P. Sundarraj said that 2025 marked a decisive turning point in the fight against Left-Wing Extremism in the region, with security forces killing 256 Naxals in encounters and facilitating the surrender of more than 1,500 Maoists during the year.
According to police officials, the surrendered Naxals carried a combined reward of Rs 2.36 crore.
The “Poona Margem- Rehabilitation to Rejuvenation” initiative registered another significant breakthrough in Dantewada district, southern Chhattisgarh, on Sunday.
Rao, who headed the technical wing of the Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC), was an explosives expert for the insurgents and was adept in the use of IEDs and weaponry.
Addressing the media at Jharkhand Police Headquarters on Tuesday, IG (Operations) Dr. Michael Raj said that the security forces are fully prepared and the public need not panic.
Two personnel of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) sustained injuries during a prolonged encounter with Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, police officials confirmed on Tuesday.
A significant cache of weapons, including INSAS and SLR rifles, explosives, and daily-use items, was also seized.
