Security forces in the Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district of Chhattisgarh successfully eliminated two high-ranking Naxalites on Wednesday, representing a major victory. These Naxalites carried a combined bounty of 35 lakh rupees. The encounter took place in the Banda hill forest, under the Madanwada police station. The District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) collaborated on this joint operation. The operation was launched on Tuesday night, based on intelligence reports concerning the presence of senior Maoist leaders in the area. On Wednesday afternoon, during heavy rainfall, Naxalites initiated gunfire as the forces were in the process of cordoning off the Banda hill area near Retegaon village. The security forces responded in kind, resulting in the deaths of the two Naxalites. After the encounter, a search operation resulted in the recovery of the bodies.
The deceased Naxalites were identified as Vijay Reddy, a member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, and Lokesh Salame, a member of the Divisional Committee. Reddy was wanted, with a 25 lakh rupee bounty, and he also faced charges in the neighboring state of Maharashtra. Salame carried a bounty of 10 lakh rupees. Police are currently seeking the accomplices of the deceased Naxalites. Information indicates that Reddy was a significant Maoist leader within the Rajnandgaon-Kanker border division and was very active in the area bordering the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra.
This year, security forces in Chhattisgarh have eliminated 229 Naxalites, with 208 of those deaths recorded in the Bastar division. This includes the districts of Bijapur, Bastar, Kanker, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Sukma, and Dantewada. The Superintendent of Police, Y.P. Singh, confirmed the encounter and the elimination of the high-ranking Naxalites during the search operation.