Just before the first phase of voting for the 2024 general elections in Chhattisgarh, security forces on Tuesday successfully neutralized 29 Naxals in Kanker district. This marks the state’s biggest encounter to date, witnessing the downfall of several senior Naxal commanders. In the ongoing fight against leftist extremism, it's been the most deaths in a single encounter in the history of the state. As of this year, a total of 79 Naxals have been taken down in various encounters within the Bastar region.
In the thick of gunfire, three security personnel were injured and a large cache of weapons was recovered from the site. The forces managed to eliminate Shankar Rao, the most hard-line and influential Naxal commander of the Dandakaranya division. Shankar Rao served as the military intelligence chief for his division and had a bounty of 25 lakh rupees on his head.
Credit Goes to Our Brave Security Personnel: Deputy CM
The Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Vijay Sharma, who also holds the home portfolio, lauded the encounter as a 'surgical strike' against Naxals. He noted this as a significant victory and attributed full credit to the valorous security forces. Sundarraj P, the IG of Bastar Range (Naxal Operations), reported, 'The confrontation occurred on Tuesday afternoon around 2 PM in the Haapatola jungles, under Chottebethiya Police Station area, between the villages of Binagunda and Koronar when the joint team of Border Security Force (BSF) and state police's District Reserve Guard (DRG) was out on an operation'.
Source: aajtak
The operation was initiated based on intelligence about the presence of senior cadres of the banned CPI (Maoist) North Bastar division, including Shankar, Lalita, Raju, and others. A senior IPS officer said that during patrolling in the area, fierce gunfire took place between security forces and Naxals. From the scene, 29 Maoist bodies and an arsenal of weapons including AK-47s, SLRs, INSAS rifles, and .303 rifles were recovered. There are elections scheduled in the Naxal-affected Bastar Lok Sabha seat on April 19, while voting in the Kanker constituency is on April 26.
All three injured security personnel are out of danger: IG Bastar
IG Sundarraj P mentioned, 'The search operation is still ongoing in the area. Three security personnel who were injured during the encounter are not in danger anymore. They have been airlifted to Raipur for treatment. The killed Naxals have not yet been identified, but it seems likely, on first impression, that it includes senior cadres of the banned CPI (Maoist) North Bastar division. There is a high probability that the divisional committee members Shankar and Lalita are among the deceased'.
Sources from the Ministry of Home Affairs said, 'Based on intelligence on Maoist movements in the Binagunda area and vicinity, an operation was commenced on the evening of April 15. We had shared 5 inputs with local authorities, which included two precise locations of Maoists in the Binagunda region. Binagunda has been functioning as a permanent camp for Maoists since April 5.' The state's Home Minister, Vijay Sharma, noted that ever since the 'double engine' government (BJP in both centre and state) took over in Chhattisgarh, there have been positive advancements on the anti-Naxal front.
So far this year, approximately 80 Naxals have been neutralized in different encounters,
The Deputy CM emphatically stated that as part of the strategy to eradicate this menace from its roots, new security camps have been established in the Naxal stronghold within the Bastar region. He revealed that in four months, nearly 80 Naxals have been taken down in various encounters with security forces. Vijay Sharma reiterated the BJP government's commitment to restoring peace in Bastar. He mentioned that the people of Bastar deserve access to clean drinking water, electricity, and the benefits of development. He said, 'We are working under the leadership and guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai.'
