At least 14 Maoists, including a senior cadre, were killed in a fierce gunbattle with security forces along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border in Gariaband district, police confirmed on Tuesday.
The operation, a joint effort between the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Special Operations Group (SoG) of Odisha, and Chhattisgarh Police, dealt a significant blow to the Maoist insurgency, according to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
“This is another mighty blow to Naxalism. Our security forces have achieved a major success towards making India Naxal-free. The CRPF, SoG Odisha, and Chhattisgarh Police neutralized 14 Naxalites in a joint operation,” Shah said in a post on X, emphasizing that Naxalism is “breathing its last” in India.
The operation, which began on January 19 based on intelligence about Maoist activity in Chhattisgarh’s Kularighat reserve forest, resulted in two women Naxalites being killed during an initial exchange of fire on Monday. A CoBRA jawan was also injured in the encounter. A fresh exchange of fire occurred late Monday night and into Tuesday morning, bringing the total number of casualties to 14.
Gariaband Superintendent of Police Nikhil Rakhecha identified one of the deceased as Jairam alias Chalpati, a central committee member of the Maoists, who carried a bounty of Rs 1 crore. The identities of the remaining dead Naxalites are still being verified.
The operation continues, with security forces still engaged in firefights in the area. Officials warned that the final toll may rise as the operation progresses.
The combined security team from the District Reserve Guard (DRG), CRPF, CoBRA, and the SoG from Odisha was involved in the operation. The forces also recovered a large cache of weapons, ammunition, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from the encounter site.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai hailed the efforts of the security forces, asserting that Chhattisgarh would be rid of the Naxal menace by March 2026, in line with the government’s goals. “This victory is a testament to the bravery of our soldiers, and I salute their courage,” Sai said.
This encounter marks the 40th Naxalite casualty in the state this year, following a similar operation on January 16 that resulted in 12 Naxalites being killed. In 2024, 219 Maoists were neutralized by security forces in separate encounters across Chhattisgarh.
