Raipur: A major Maoist operation in Chhattisgarh. According to police reports, more than 30 Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Dantewada district. The operation was carried out based on intelligence reports. The operation involved a special force that included surrendered Maoists, known as the DRG (District Reserve Guard), along with the Task Force. This is considered the largest operation in the 24-year history of Chhattisgarh. The encounter occurred in the forested areas near the villages of Goval, Nendur, and Thulthuli, police said. Bodies and a cache of weapons, including AK-47 rifles, have been recovered from the area. Detailed searches are ongoing, according to sources.
With this, the number of Maoists killed in Naxal violence this year has risen to 187. So far, 15 security personnel and 47 civilians have also been killed. The encounter took place in Abujhmad, a stronghold of the Maoists. The security forces have reclaimed more than 50% of the area.
In April, during an encounter in Kanker district ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, 29 Maoists were killed. The last major reported encounter in the state occurred on September 3, where nine Maoists, including six women, were killed in the border area between Dantewada and Bijapur districts.
