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Seven Naxalites, including two high-ranking leaders, were killed in a major anti-Naxal operation conducted by security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district between June 5 and 7, officials said on Saturday.
According to officials, the operation, led jointly by the Special Task Force (STF), District Reserve Guard (DRG), and the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) in the dense forest region of the National Park area, also resulted in the seizure of a large cache of arms, ammunition, and communication equipment. Inspector General (IG) of Police, Bastar Range, P Sundarraj, said that so far, a total of 7 bodies of Naxal cadres have been recovered by security forces during the ongoing anti-Naxal operations in the National Park area of Bijapur district. These include the bodies of Central Committee Member Gautam @ Sudhakar and Bhaskar, a Telangana State Committee Member. "It is worth mentioning that, as part of the continued anti-Naxal operations in the National Park area of Bijapur district, a total of 7 Naxal bodies have been recovered following multiple encounters that took place on the 5th, 6th, and 7th of June 2025," he added. The security forces conducted multiple encounters with Maoists in the dense forest terrain of the National Park area over three consecutive days. During the combing and search operations that followed the encounters, they recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition, including two AK-47 rifles, magazines, and communication devices from the encounter sites. Efforts are underway to ascertain the identity of the five remaining deceased Naxals. "Search and area domination operations are still ongoing in the surrounding forested terrain. A few of the security personnel suffered injuries due to snake bites, honey bee stings, dehydration and other operational injuries. They are being provided with appropriate medical attention. Right now, their condition is normal and out of danger," added the IG. According to official data, 186 Maoists have been killed in counter-insurgency operations across the Bastar Range in 2025 so far. Between 2024 and 2025, over 403 Maoists have been neutralised in the region following sustained anti-Naxal efforts. Commenting on the recent success, Chhattisgarh Speaker Raman Singh referred to the deadline set by Union Home Minister Amit Shah for eliminating naxalism and said, "Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also set a deadline that naxalism will be eliminated from India by 2026. The police are also working with full force, and we will get 100 per cent success." (ANI).
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