In one of the most significant anti-Naxal operations in recent times, more than 26 Naxals were killed in a fierce encounter with security forces along the Narayanpur-Bijapur border in Chhattisgarh, police officials confirmed.
The gun battle broke out on Wednesday morning, May 21, in the dense Abujhmad forest region, following a large-scale operation launched by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) teams from Narayanpur, Bijapur, Dantewada, and a fourth unnamed district. The operation was based on intelligence inputs indicating the presence of senior cadres of the Maoists’ Mad division in the area.
According to officials, the Naxals opened fire as the security forces began their combing operation, triggering a prolonged exchange of gunfire. The encounter was reportedly ongoing as of the last update, with more details yet to emerge.
Sources suggest that top Naxal leaders may have been among those trapped during the operation, indicating a significant blow to the insurgent group’s command structure.
This latest operation comes just two weeks after 15 Naxals were killed in a separate encounter near the Karregutta Hills in Bijapur district, close to the Telangana border, underscoring an intensified crackdown on Naxal activity in the region.
