In a major breakthrough, security forces gunned down 31 Naxalites in an encounter in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Sunday.
According to reports, in the encounter, which took place in the forests of the Indravati National Park, two security personnel were also killed. The police seized several weapons and explosives from the area during the anti-Maoist operation.
Responding to the incident, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated his pledge to uproot Naxalism from its roots by March 2026.
Taking to X, the Home Minister stated, "In the direction of making India free from Naxalism, security forces have achieved a major success in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh. In this operation, 31 Naxalites have been eliminated, and a large cache of weapons and explosive materials has been recovered."
"Today, in the fight to eradicate anti-humanity Naxalism, we have lost two of our brave soldiers. The nation will always remain indebted to these heroes. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyred soldiers. At the same time, I reiterate my resolve that by March 31, 2026, we will completely eliminate Naxalism from the country so that no citizen has to lose their life because of it," he added.
Bastar IG P Sundarraj said that identification of the deceased Naxals was underway, and a search operation was ongoing in the area.
