In an operation in the Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday, security forces engaged in an encounter with Naxalites, successfully eliminating two high-ranking individuals. The combined reward for these Naxalites amounted to 35 lakh rupees. The encounter occurred in the Banda Hill forests, under the Madanwada police station, during a joint operation by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) aimed at combating Naxalism.
The operation was initiated on Tuesday night based on intelligence suggesting the presence of senior Maoist leaders within the area. During heavy rain on Wednesday afternoon, the Naxalites initiated an attack on the forces as the security personnel were cordoning off the Banda Hill region near Retegaon village. The forces retaliated, and following the encounter, a search revealed the bodies of the two Naxalites.
The deceased were identified as Vijay Reddy, a member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, and Lokesh Salame, a member of the Divisional Committee. Reddy had a reward of 25 lakh rupees on his head, and was also wanted in Maharashtra. Salame had a reward of 10 lakh rupees. Police are currently searching for the associates of the deceased Naxalites. Police sources indicate that Reddy was a significant Maoist leader within the Rajnandgaon-Kanker border division and was highly active near the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra.
So far this year, security forces in Chhattisgarh have neutralized 229 Naxalites, with 208 of these deaths taking place in the Bastar division. The areas affected include Bijapur, Bastar, Kanker, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Sukma, and Dantewada. According to District Superintendent of Police Y.P. Singh, the encounter took place during a search operation, resulting in the deaths of prominent Naxalites.