India: 28 Maoists killed amid anti-Naxal operation in Chhattisgarh's Abujhmad forest

At least 28suspected Maoists were killed in a clash with security forces in India's Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district on Friday (Oct 4), according to the chief minister of the Indian state.

Media reports citing theBastar police said that the encounter began around 1:00 pm (local time)in the Abujhmad forest, located on the Narayanpur-Dantewada border, during an anti-Naxal operation. A joint team of security personnel including the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Special Task Force (STF) carried out the encounter.

This operation marks the biggest success for the security forces since the April 16 incident in Kanker district, where 29 Maoists were killed. The police, in a statement issued at noon, said that they recovered weapons from the site, including an AK-47 and a self-loading rifle (SLR).

Acting on intelligence about a heavy Maoist presence, security teams were dispatched to several villages under the Orcha and Barsur police stations, including Govel, Nendur, and Thulthuli, as per reports. Combing operations were carried out in these areas.

"There are reports of 28 Naxalites being killed in an encounter between security forces and Naxalites in the border area of ​​Narayanpur-Dantewada district," said theChief Minister of Chhattisgarh,Vishnu Deo Sai, in a post on X.

He also went on to praise the security forces forthe successful operation and said that his government aims to "eliminate"Naxalism from the state.

“The encounter is still going on. Till now 30 Maoists have been killed and figures can increase in the night as the encounter is still in progress,” said Dantewada’s Superintendent of Police, Gaurav Rai, as reported by Hindustan Times.

“Details of the exact number of weapons and ammunition are yet to be ascertained. On Saturday, the identification process of the deceased Maoists will be done,” the SP added.

Abujhmad, which spans both Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, is also known as the 'unknown hill,' as it has not been surveyed since British times. This dense 6,000 sq km forest is a stronghold for Maoist activities, and several top CPI (Maoist) leaders are believed to be hiding there.

With this operation, the total number of Maoists killed by security forces in the Bastar region this yearhas risen to 194.

(With inputs from agencies)