In a renewed offensive against the Naxals, as many as 22 Maoists were killed in two separate incidents in Chhattisgarh, officials reported on Thursday. A police jawan was also killed in the encounter in Bijapur.
In Bijapur, 18 Naxals were killed, while four others were gunned down in Kanker by a joint operation by BSF and DRG personnel from the state police.
According to latest reports from officials, intermittent gunfire is still ongoing in Kanker.
Following the operation, Union home minister Amit Shah hailed the success, stating, "Today, our soldiers have achieved another major success in the direction of the 'Naxal Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.' Twenty-two Naxalites were killed in two separate operations by our security forces in Bijapur and Kanker. The Modi government is moving forward with a ruthless approach against Naxalites, adopting a zero-tolerance policy for those who refuse to surrender. The country will be Naxal-free by 31st March next year."
How it happened
The gunbattle began around 7 am in a forested area along the Bijapur-Dantewada border when a joint security team was carrying out an anti-Naxalite operation in the Gangaloor police station area of Bijapur.
Authorities recovered the bodies of 18 Naxals, along with firearms and explosives from the site. A member of the state police's District Reserve Guard (DRG) was also killed during the gunfight.
The operation is ongoing in the region, officials confirmed.
When Maoists surrendered
Nine maoists, four of them carrying a cumulative reward of Rs 23 lakh, surrendered before security forces in Bijapur district.
Of these, three were women cadres and one of them was carrying a bounty of Rs 8 lakh.
The women Naxals -- Laxmi Madvi alias Khuto, Pulli Irpa alias Tara and Bhime Madkam -- along with five male cadres, including Ramesh Karam, turned themselves in before security personnel citing "inhuman and hollow" Maoist ideology, an official was quoted as saying.
31 Maoists dead, two jawans dead
In the second week of February, security forces gunned down at least 31 suspected Maoists inside a Chhattisgarh, which was considered the most successful anti-Maoist operation so far.
Two jawans were killed and two others suffered critical injuries during the fierce gun battle inside the Indravati National Park in Bijapur district, where 650 security personnel reportedly launched a coordinated offensive.
The national park, adjoining the dense Abujhmad forests, has been a safe haven for the Maoists. Sprawling 2,799.08sqkm, the park hugs the Maharashtra border. It was declared a tiger reserve in 1983.
