Bijapur (Chhattisgarh)

31 Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in the forests of the National Park area in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, officials said on Sunday.

Police during the operation also recovered weapons and explosives from the area.

According to Bastar police officials, the encounter broke out in the forests on Sunday morning. "31Naxalites were killed in the encounter in the National Park area of Bijapur district," Bastar IG P Sundarraj said.

"Two jawans, including one from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the other from Special Task Force (STF), lost their lives, while two others were injured in the gunfight," he said.

"The identification of the deceased Naxals is underway, and a search operation is ongoing in the area," he added.

The condition of both injured jawans was said to be stable.

Further details are awaited. 

This encounter comes a week after eight Maoists were killed in another operation of security forces launched in Bijapur district.

The gunfight in which eight Maoists were killed broke out on January 31 when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Maoist operation, a senior police official said.

Personnel of the District Reserve Guard and Special Task Force of the state police along with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and its elite unit CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) were involved in the operation which was launched on Friday after receiving information about the presence of cadres of the `West Bastar division' of the Maoists in the area, he said.

The security operations come in line with central government's pledge to “end Naxalism” by 2026, which Home Minister Amit Shah had reiterated on January 6 after eight District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawans and one driver were killed when their vehicle was blown up by Maoists using an IED in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur.

The blast reportedly took place on the Bedre-Kutru Road in Bijapur district.

The jawans of DRG Dantewada were returning in a Scorpio after a joint operation, the IG said. The joint operation was of Dantewada, Narayanpur and Bijapur, IG Bastar added.

According to Chhattisgarh Police, so far this year, 49 Maoists were killed in separate encounters in the state. Of them, 33 were killed in the Bastar division comprising seven districts, including Bijapur.

On January 20-21, police said, 16 Maoists were killed in an encounter with security personnel in the state's Gariaband district, which is a part of the Raipur division.

Last year, 219 Maoists were neutralised by security forces in separate encounters in the state, according to the police.