In Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, a Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security forces on Saturday. The operation, conducted in a dense forested region of south-west Bijapur, was initiated based on credible intelligence regarding Maoist activity.

The District Reserve Guard (DRG) led the operation. The encounter involved intermittent exchanges of gunfire. After the firing ceased, security forces recovered the body of one Naxalite, along with weapons and explosives. A .303 rifle, live rounds, a 12-bore gun, batteries, cardex wire, scanner sets, and Maoist literature were among the seized items. These materials are believed to be part of the group's logistical and communication setup.

The identity of the Naxalite killed in the encounter has not been released. Authorities have also withheld details about troop deployment and the exact location of the encounter for security reasons. The operation is still ongoing, and the number of Maoists involved remains unconfirmed.

Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav stated that the DRG team initiated the operation based on reliable inputs about Maoist activity.

This encounter is part of intensified counter-insurgency efforts aimed at dismantling the operational core of the banned Naxalite organization.

In a similar operation on Thursday, security forces neutralized 10 Naxalites in Gariaband, including a senior commander and Central Committee (CC) member, Manoj, who had a reward of Rs 1 crore on his head. Ten weapons were recovered from the area. Inspector General (IG) Raipur Range, Amresh Mishra, reported that the encounter in Gariaband involved intermittent exchange of fire. Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma hailed the joint operation by security forces, which included CRPF's Cobra commandos, Chhattisgarh Police, and DRG. He congratulated the officials for conducting an "excellent operation" in a restrained manner.

Also on Thursday, 26 Maoists were arrested from separate localities of Bijapur district. Six of the arrested Maoists were carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 13 lakhs. One of the arrested cadres was identified as Munna Potam, a member of the PLGA battalion no 1, carrying a bounty of Rs 8 lakhs on his head.

With the latest success, 243 Naxalites have been killed in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh so far this year, with 214 of those being eliminated in the Bastar division.