In separate incidents on Saturday, July 26, 2025, security forces killed a total of seven Maoists in encounters in the states of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Three operatives of the Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP), a banned splinter group of Maoists, were killed in Gumla, Jharkhand. In Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, at least four Maoists were killed in an ongoing encounter in the forests of the Bastar division.

Jharkhand Encounter

The encounter in Jharkhand took place in Lawadag forest, under Ghagra police station limits, in Gumla district. According to police, the operation was initiated based on intelligence inputs that JJMP operatives had gathered in the forest to plan an attack. A team comprising officers from Ghagra and Bishunpur police stations, along with personnel from Jharkhand Jaguar (JJ), the state's anti-extremism unit, and district police, launched a cordon-and-search operation. The Maoists opened fire upon the security forces, who retaliated, resulting in the deaths of three JJMP members. Two other members of the group managed to escape, and a search operation is underway in the area.

Following the encounter, authorities recovered one AK-47 assault rifle, two INSAS rifles, and a country-made gun from the slain operatives. One of the deceased was identified as Dilip Lohra, a resident of Belagada village in Gumla district, while the identities of the other two are being determined.

Chhattisgarh Encounter

In Chhattisgarh, the encounter occurred in the dense forests of the Bijapur district, which is part of the Bastar division. The gun battle was part of a larger anti-Naxal operation launched following specific intelligence inputs about Maoist presence in the region. IG Bastar zone P Sundarraj confirmed that the bodies of four Maoists had been recovered from the encounter site. A large cache of weapons, including INSAS and SLR rifles, was also recovered. The operation was carried out by a joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and CoBRA, an elite unit of the CRPF, within the jurisdiction of the Basaguda police station. At the time of reporting, the encounter was still ongoing.

Background

These incidents highlight the ongoing conflict between security forces and Maoist insurgents in several states across India. The Maoists, also known as Naxalites, have been engaged in an armed struggle against the government for several decades, primarily in rural and remote areas. They claim to be fighting for the rights of tribal communities and other marginalized groups, often exploiting their socio-economic grievances. The government has been conducting various operations to counter the Maoist insurgency, including security operations and development initiatives.